Skip to main content

Induct introduces the Navia fully-electric driverless shuttle

French mobility solutions specialist Induct recently announced its first delivery of Navia, the self-driving electric shuttle developed under a partnership with Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). According to Induct, Navia is the first automated electric shuttle offering an environment-friendly alternative to public transport and private cars in urban areas. The automated driverless electric vehicle carries up to eight passengers at a maximum speed of 20 km/h, and was designed t
February 12, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
French mobility solutions specialist 7149 Induct recently announced its first delivery of Navia, the self-driving electric shuttle developed under a partnership with Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

According to Induct, Navia is the first automated electric shuttle offering an environment-friendly alternative to public transport and private cars in urban areas.  The automated driverless electric vehicle carries up to eight passengers at a maximum speed of 20 km/h, and was designed to complement conventional transport, public or private.

Navia is fitted with laser telemetry, GPS and sensors that detect the vehicle’s acceleration (accelerometers) and its rotation (gyroscopes) around all three axes (to and fro, side to side, up and down), enabling it to instantly calculate its position, route and distance travelled, in real time, enabling it to carry its passengers in complete safety and take them where they want to go without fuss.

Induct says Navia is ideal for those environments that need a simple, safe and environment-friendly mobility solution: pedestrianised city centres, large industrial sites, airports, theme parks.

Philippe Vollichard, deputy to the EPFL vice-president for planning and logistics, explains, "Our collaboration with Induct enables us to make effective progress on our scientific research work on induction charging and artificial intelligence, not only in the laboratory, but also outdoors. This project fits in the development of our Innovation Square, where we welcome many start-ups to our Scientific Park. We are delighted to take part in the project since, within the framework of its mobility plan, EPFL is exploring the most innovative public transport solutions for the first and last kilometer. Following a public tender procedure launched in 2011, EPFL identified the solution put forward by Induct and means to contribute to that concept's validation with the competent authorities. The school hopes to be able to deploy this technology on a large scale."

Related Content

  • Project to develop inductive charging for EVs
    April 25, 2012
    Volvo Car Corporation is participating in an inductive charging project. Together with Belgian technological and development specialists Flanders' Drive and others, Volvo is developing systems and methods that need neither power sockets nor charging cables. With inductive charging, energy is transferred wirelessly to the car's battery via a charging plate buried in the road surface.
  • CCTA runs Bay Area's first autonomous shuttle in public service
    April 29, 2023
    Contra Costa Transportation Authority pilots free service with Beep in San Ramon
  • Western Australia to trial autonomous vehicle
    February 11, 2016
    Western Australia is to trial a driverless and fully electric shuttle bus later this year. Developed by NAVYA SAS, a French company specialising in intelligent transport systems, the shuttle bus can transport up to 15 passengers and has a maximum speed of 45kmh with an average speed of 25kmh Announcing the trial, Transport Minister Dean Nalder said the Department of Transport was working closely with the RAC to ensure compliance with road and vehicle safety standards while they trialled an autonomous sh
  • Londoners invited to trial autonomous shuttle
    September 13, 2017
    A partnership between Keolis, Navya, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, ENGIE, Here East and Our Parklife is offering Londoners the opportunity to trial a new autonomous electric shuttle, open to the public in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park during September. The Navya shuttle is being trialled by transport group Keolis to showcase how autonomous vehicles could transform integrated public transport and offers people a chance to experience this innovative technology for themselves.