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

  • Falling asleep in an AV… but what happens next?
    September 18, 2019
    Sleeping while a driverless car speeds you to your destination has long been touted as the dream of the new technology – and something of a nightmare for safety campaigners. A new video from the BBC shows exactly what happens if a driver falls asleep in an autonomous vehicle (AV). In the filmed test, the AV prompts the driver to resume control when approaching roadworks on a motorway. When the driver fails to act, the vehicle comes to a halt and automatically parks in a lay-by. Motor industry research
  • IRF publishes comprehensive safety journal
    March 25, 2014
    The International Road Federation (IRF) is now publishing its new quarterly journal featuring peer reviewed technical contributions by leading industry professionals. Called the IRF Examiner, this freely available publication addresses innovative road safety applications ranging from school zone safety projects in Abu Dhabi to rumble strips on rural highways.
  • CARD4B shows WildCard Ticketing kernel software at CARTES 2013
    November 19, 2013
    SESAMES Award finalist CARD4B is showcasing its TickeGO-compliant WildCard Ticketing Kernel software at CARTES 2013. The middleware embraces multiple customer-media technologies (such as Calypso, Mifare, NFC, 2D bar code), multiple terminals and operating-systems and provides business rules to support multi card-schema, embedded into any terminal or online behind a web service for web or mobile apps, and covers all ATFC functions. It is complemented by a XML-based card data model Editor visual tool t
  • Lyft ramps up driver and passenger safety efforts
    September 19, 2019
    Ride-share firm Lyft is seeking to head off concerns over passenger safety by requiring its drivers to take a ‘community safety’ course. Lyft has partnered with non-profit anti-sexual assault organisation Rainn, and drivers will be required to complete an education course designed by both parties. Riders and drivers must agree to Lyft’s community guidelines on behaving with care and respect. Passengers reported for violating these will be removed from the platform while drivers will be required to take add