Volvo Shows Off Autonomous Bus Depot Potential

Paul Myles

TU-Editor

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13th November 2019

Volvo has showcased its autonomous bus working for the first time in a depot loaded with passengers as a proof of concept.

The live demonstration, one of the world’s first for a 40-ft electric and autonomous bus at a bus depot, took place at Keolis bus depot just outside of Gothenburg, Sweden. During the event, the bus drove itself between the parking bay and several workstations including cleaning, servicing and electric charging, before parking itself in the correct bay, all while carrying passengers.

While the automaker has trialled autonomous bus tests before, this was the first time it did so in a working bus depot operated by one of Sweden’s largest public transport providers.

Håkan Agnevall, president of Volvo Buses, said: “We are still many years away from seeing fully-autonomous buses on public roads but since bus depots are confined areas with predictable and repetitive traffic flows, we see autonomous buses being used there much sooner. Working together with Keolis has given us this unique opportunity to test an autonomous bus in real conditions and will help us drive the development of autonomous solutions forward.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles