FLEX electric driverless shuttle operating in Australia

A driverless public electric shuttle is operating around South Australia’s Tonsley Innovation District as part of a trial set to include public roads. The five-year project, valued at AU$4m (£2.2m), is intended to build public acceptance of the technology. Initially, the Navya Arma Flinders Express (FLEX) shuttle will offer first mile-last mile services between the Clovelly Park train station and Tonsley main assembly building, then connections to bus stops on the main South Road and businesses within th
June 25, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
A driverless public electric shuttle is operating around South Australia’s Tonsley Innovation District as part of a trial set to include public roads. The five-year project, valued at AU$4m (£2.2m), is intended to build public acceptance of the technology.


Initially, the 8379 Navya Arma Flinders Express (FLEX) shuttle will offer first mile-last mile services between the Clovelly Park train station and Tonsley main assembly building, then connections to bus stops on the main South Road and businesses within the Tonsley precinct.

Commuters arriving at Tonsley by bus or train can book a journey on Flinders %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external website false https://www.flinders.edu.au/flex-bus false false%>.

The intention is to extend FLEX within a year to include the Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University’s Bedford Park campus and then along main arterial roads around the entire Bedford Park precinct.

The shuttle can carry up to 15 passengers at 30km per hour. An operator will be on board to provide users with information on the technology and ensure their safety.

The project is part of an agreement with Flinders University and the RAA and Department of Planning. Other partners include 6667 Cohda Wireless, Renewal SA, 8499 Sage Automation, Telstra, UPG, ZenEnergy and public transport operator 6546 Keolis Downer.

Related Content

  • June 5, 2014
    Webinar: Hybrid and pure electric car technology 2014-2024
    A free webinar by Dr Peter Harrop, IDTechEx on Tuesday 10 June will share some of the research carried out for the new IDTechEx report, Hybrid and Pure Electric Cars 2014-2024. It encompasses hybrid and pure electric on-road cars, golf cars, neighbourhood electric vehicles NEV and the car-like micro EVs and quadricycles. On-road hybrid cars are a success in developed countries and micro EVs are a success in developing countries. Pure electric on-road cars will become successful within the coming decade.
    Read More
  • October 16, 2019
    Dyson scraps EV project
    British technology company Dyson has pulled out of a project to build electric vehicles (EVs), saying it is unable to make its car “commercially viable”. Chief executive Sir James Dyson said in a statement: “We have been through a serious process to find a buyer for the project which has, unfortunately, been unsuccessful so far.” The company, known primarily for its vacuum cleaners, says it will continue its £2.5 billion investment programme into new technology in two UK locations and in Singapore. It wil
    Read More
  • July 4, 2019
    CurbFlow looks at PUDO in Washington, DC
    The District Department of Transportation (DDoT) in Washington, DC is working with CurbFlow to carry out the next phase of its kerbside pick-up and drop-off (PUDO) programme. DDoT says the programme allocates kerbside space for PUDO activities, allowing passenger and commercial loading to occur at the kerb and out of travel lanes. Jeff Marootian, DDoT director, says: “By exploring new kerbside management options through this partnership with CurbFlow, DDoT is able to keep traffic flowing, maximise effic
    Read More
  • November 10, 2016
    Submissions invited for Australia’s national tolling forum
    Australia’s 2017 National electronic Tolling Forum (NeTC), Converging Smarter Tolling Technologies, which takes place in Sydney on 23-25 May, will address the challenges and opportunities faced by the tolling industry and their impact on business and personal mobility.
    Read More

Highlighted Content