Panasonic to launch autonomous cart ride-share in 2021

Panasonic is to launch a ride-sharing service of autonomous electric carts in Japan in 2021 for small towns and other ‘confined’ areas. A report by The Mainichi says the company is now using four carts to transport more than 14,000 employees around its headquarters in Osaka Prefecture ahead of the commercial launch. The carts operate at 20 km/h per hour on a 2.4km loop around the premises, which is around 468,000 m2 in size. An spokesperson is quoted as saying during a press conference: "We are not tryin
November 6, 2019 Read time: 1 min

598 Panasonic is to launch a ride-sharing service of autonomous electric carts in Japan in 2021 for small towns and other ‘confined’ areas.

A report by %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external The Mainichi false https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20191017/p2g/00m/0bu/098000c false false%>says the company is now using four carts to transport more than 14,000 employees around its headquarters in Osaka Prefecture ahead of the commercial launch.

The carts operate at 20 km/h per hour on a 2.4km loop around the premises, which is around 468,000 m2 in size.

An spokesperson is quoted as saying during a press conference: "We are not trying to make high-speed autonomous cars because we are not an automaker. We would like to create slow and human-friendly mobility.”

Each cart comes with four seats, sensors, cameras and telecommunications equipment.

Panasonic is hoping the service will be introduced in theme parks or venues for large events such as the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • World Economic Forum: AVs face two big challenges
    July 3, 2019
    Autonomous vehicles (AVs) will not be widely adopted unless tech issues and business cases are sorted out, says an expert at the World Economic Forum (WEF). In an interview with CNBC, Michelle Avary, head of autonomous mobility at the organisation, said: “Really making sure that the technology is working in the areas of perception, which is vision — being able to identify objects and then understand how to move around them. That has yet to be solved.” Speaking at the WEF’s Annual Meeting of the New Ch
    Read More
  • First 10km of UAE hyperloop ‘ready in 2020’
    January 29, 2019
    The project billed as the world’s first commercial hyperloop system is on course to open its first 10km section next year in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In an interview Bibop Gresta, chairman of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, told Emirates News Agency that the average cost would be $20-40m per km. Despite the cost, he is confident that the scheme – which will eventually run for 150km between Abu Dhabi and Dubai – will pay for itself in “eight to 15 years”. “It will be paying for itself
    Read More
  • Webinar: Hybrid and pure electric car technology 2014-2024
    June 5, 2014
    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
  • Call for papers and sessions open for ITS America 2019
    November 1, 2018
    ITS America is accepting paper and session proposals for its annual meeting in Washington, DC on 4-7 June 2019. Submissions based on this year’s theme - ‘Intelligent Mobility: Safer, Greener, Smarter’ - should relate to topics on intelligent mobility: moving people, data and freight. Authors of the accepted papers will present findings in a session organised by ITS America’s programme committee which will feature a moderator appointed by the event
    Read More

Highlighted Content