Skip to main content

Navya to launch self-driving electric shuttle service in Abu Dhabi project

Navya’s self-driving electric shuttle will operate as a daily mobility service for a planned city project in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The Autonom shuttle will link parking areas in Masdar City with its main podium. Navya and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport have customised the shuttle to mitigate the effects of extreme heat and humidity on battery performance. They also carried out health and safety tests to ensure the safety of passengers and pedestrians. Autonom can c
October 26, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
8379 Navya’s self-driving electric shuttle will operate as a daily mobility service for a planned city project in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The Autonom shuttle will link parking areas in Masdar City with its main podium.


Navya and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport have customised the shuttle to mitigate the effects of extreme heat and humidity on battery performance. They also carried out health and safety tests to ensure the safety of passengers and pedestrians.

Autonom can carry up to 12 passengers and has a full operational speed of 25 kilometres per hour.

The vehicle uses on-board cameras and Lidar sensors to create 3D and 2D ‘perception maps’ to detect nearby obstacles. Autonom defines its location via GPS and uses vehicle-to-everything technology to communicate with traffic lights.

Navya says it will deploy seven more shuttles for the project next year. The vehicle’s route map will be expanded to connect the Etihad Eco Residence complex above the city’s north car park with the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency and the My City Centre Masdar shopping centre.  

In %$Linker: 2 Internal <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 4 36368 0 link-external August false /sections/general/news/navya-electric-autonomous-shuttle-to-operate-on-open-roads-in-canada/ false false%>, Autonom was began operating on public roads with mixed traffic in Québec as part of an agreement with Keolis Canada and the City of Candiac.

The shuttle is running along a 2km route between Exo park-and-ride lot and the bus terminal and the intersection of Marie Victorin and Montcalm North Boulevards. Riders can use the shuttle to reach their workplaces from the bus terminal.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ITS America student essay competition: deadline 14 April
    April 9, 2019
    The deadline for US college students to take part in ITS America’s annual essay competition is fast approaching – entries must be in by Sunday 14 April. The competition, sponsored by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), invites students of transportation, engineering and public policy to share ‘thought provoking’ visions for the future of transport. The topic is: ‘How do you envision disruptive technologies impacting transportation systems to make them safer, greener or smarter over the next 10 years?’ U
  • Southwest Research Institute driving innovation in autonomous vehicle technology
    April 23, 2013
    Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) is in the driver's seat for driverless vehicle innovation. SWRI's latest autonomous vehicle model, an upgraded Polaris MRZR, is parked on the show floor at ITS America, and it is ready for action, literally. The latest SWRI intelligent vehicle systems are being tested by the US military.
  • Gulf Traffic 2013 – the international meeting place for buyers and sellers
    July 23, 2013
    The Gulf region is forging ahead with plans to improve its transportation infrastructure with US$121.3 billion worth of road and bridge projects already underway or in the planning phase.
  • An analysis of real-world crashes involving self-driving vehicles
    October 30, 2015
    A study by the University of Michigan performed a preliminary analysis of the cumulative on-road safety record of self-driving vehicles for three of the ten companies that are currently approved for such vehicle testing in California (Google, Delphi, and Audi). The analysis compared the safety record of these vehicles with the safety record of all conventional vehicles in the US for 2013 (adjusted for underreporting of crashes that do not involve a fatality).