15-passenger, bi-directional, zero-emission, fully self-driving vehicle ‘is a complete product’
The autonomous Nayva Arma minibus made its UK debut at Heathrow Airport last Tuesday (24 January), with the manufacturer saying that the technology is ready to be put to work in short-distance, shuttle-type applications.
A half-mile demonstration route around Heathrow’s Compass Centre was used for the Arma demonstration and Navya Vice-President of Sales Henri Coron says that the product is already a financially viable option.
“The Arma is particularly suited to first- or last-mile type work rather than longer journeys. It is limited to 25km/h, although technically it is capable of 45km/h,” says Mr Coron.
“We already have a number of Armas in use sharing the public highway with other vehicles in places including Qatar and Switzerland. The technology is proven; it is productionised. It is available now.”
The bi-directional Arma seats 11 passengers with a further four standees and it uses end-mounted sensors combined with a 360-degree camera on the roof to navigate. The route is pre-programmed by Navya technicians.
Charge is taken inductively and the Arma’s maximum range is 150km. Gross weight is 3,450kg and Mr Coron points out that it can represent a major saving when drivers’ wages are taken in to account.
“We do not just sell the vehicle. It is a complete product, a solution for some short-distance public transport applications. Navya is the only manufacturer to provide an A to Z package including the vehicle, infrastructure and all supervision and support.”
Navya anticipates having 200 Armas in service worldwide by the end of 2017. It is also working with an unnamed bus manufacturer to transfer the technology to a large vehicle with capacity for up to 27 passengers, says Mr Coron.
