Type in electric vehicles or autonomous vehicles into an internet browser and you will get a deluge of articles and information on the subject. The term electric vehicle (EV) includes both plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars, and both are commonly referred to as plug-in electric vehicles. The number of EVs is ever increasing in the United States and as an incentive to buy one, many people qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. Cumulative sales of plug-in electric cars in 2020 totaled $1.74 million. While this represents less than two percent of all vehicles sold, that number will increase dramatically over the next decade or sooner, especially if government infrastructure for charging station funding is enacted in 2021.
This trend is also true regarding public transportation including buses and shuttles. Many school districts are running pilot projects with electric school buses, and in 2019 there were 240 all-electric school buses registered out of 40,000 (about 0.6 percent). Currently, around 650 electric buses are operating in the U.S. and the demand for these vehicles is increasing as federal grants are incentivizing transit operators to acquire new units. Almost every state has a transit agency that currently owns (or is planning to acquire) new electric buses for their fleets. This article will explore one segment of this revolution — autonomous, all-electric public transportation.
The all-electric, autonomous transportation model
While we are a few years away from large fleets of full-sized, driverless electric busses operating in and around major U.S. cities there are many examples of these fleets operating on a smaller scale. One company that provides a complete transportation package is Orlando-based Beep Inc., a self-driving shuttle operator that was one of 17 firms selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation and NHTSA for the Automated Vehicle Transparency and Engagement for Safe Testing Initiative. Companies that participate in the program have agreed to share information about their automated vehicle projects to an internet portal accessible by the public.
Beep’s Mobility-As-A-Service provides an alternative to personal vehicle ownership that can conveniently and safely travel on predefined routes within cities, townships, campuses, retail centers, and private communities. Beep’s services include a vehicle command center that monitors the locations of its busses as well as passenger demand. The Ride Beep mobile app provides riders with shuttle schedules, routes, and stop locations in areas serviced by Beep.
Many of Beep’s autonomous shuttles are manufactured by Navya. They carry up to 15 passengers and are equipped with the most advanced cameras, sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI), which enables them to perceive and react on the road much like a human driver. Unlike a human bus operator, an autonomous shuttle is never distracted by passengers and always has its “eyes” on the road.
There are three primary reasons for promoting the Beep transportation model:
For example, a fleet customer who operates all-electric buses along a two-mile route eight hours per day estimated that the same route, normally serviced by privately owned cars, removed the equivalent of 8,000 gas-powered vehicles within the first five months of operation. Additional benefits include less traffic congestion, fewer parking spaces required, and a positive impact on the environment.
Autonomous public transportation in the U.S.
Countries in Europe are not shy about trying out new technology and have widely embraced autonomous transportation. The adoption of new technology in the U.S. will take place in a somewhat slower timeframe as the government and U.S. consumers are more reluctant to change existing transportation services. As part of the all-electric revolution, several European companies have offered Level 4 autonomous vehicles for public transport in the United States. Level 4 refers to one of five levels of autonomy as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Levels 1 through 3 require a driver and Level 5 defines a vehicle that can operate autonomously on any public highway with no restrictions. Level 4 is similar but only supports environments like college or medical campuses, specific routes with dedicated traffic lanes, and other geofenced (limited by specific GPS coordinates) areas.
Navya
One example of autonomous public transport is located in Detroit, Michigan, where the first self-driving, paratransit shuttle has been deployed to transport senior citizens to and from doctor’s appointments at the Detroit Medical Center. In 2019 Navya received a PlanetM Mobility Grant to deploy an automated, accessible paratransit shuttle. With headquarters in Lyon, France, and a U.S.-based subsidiary in Saline, Michigan, Navya specializes in the design and development of autonomous, electric transit vehicles. The company offers mobility solutions for environments that include hospitals, cities, airports, and college or business campuses.
Navya’s Autonom Shuttle Evo can accommodate up to 15 passengers and with its sensor architecture and Navya Driver software it can locate, analyze and interact with the environment in real time. The shuttle is equipped with:
- 10 LiDAR sensors that map the environment in two and three dimensions for precise positioning and obstacle detection
- Cameras that provide video stream recording for data analysis and remote monitoring
- Odometry wheel speed measurement for vehicle speed and to confirm position
- GNSS antenna that communicates between GPS signals and a reference beacon to determine the exact position and a rain/light sensors that automates headlight and wiper controls.
The Evo has a 33-kW hour battery pack that can power the shuttle for an average of nine hours. Time to charge the battery to 100 percent capacity takes six hours with the 32-amp charger. The shuttle is powered by a 22.6 kW motor and can operate at a maximum speed of 15 mph. Four-wheel steering provides a tight turning radius of 15 feet and allows precise alignment with curbs for passenger boarding.
In a pilot program started in July 2020, a Navya autonomous shuttle operated along a pre-programmed 1.31-mile route in and around the Detroit Medical Center. The shuttle had an onboard safety attendant who helped to educate passengers about shuttle technology and assisted them with boarding and exiting. Having a human attendant in an autonomous vehicle helps to build trust with passengers as well as act as a backup to the automated system. The Navya shuttle ran from Monday through Friday and was for the exclusive use of residents of senior living communities in the area.
Other locations that use Navya shuttles are Lake Nona, a planned community in Orlando, Florida, and the University of Michigan that recently completed a driverless shuttle evaluation project. The study collected data that showed high levels of trust and satisfaction among riders and nonriders of the autonomous shuttle service. Navya also makes the Autonom Tract that automates aircraft baggage-to-terminal transport and can also be used to transport materials within manufacturing facilities.
EasyMile
A further example of autonomous bus operation in North America is EasyMile, a high-tech company that specializes in providing smart mobility solutions. The company has been working on autonomous vehicles since 2014 and has deployments in 300 locations in more than 30 countries. Their EZ10 shuttle provides Level 4 transportation for people within city centers, towns, universities, corporate campuses, hospitals, and parks and can operate safely in a wide range of environments including segregated roads, mixed traffic with bicycles and pedestrians, and mixed traffic with low-speed limits. The company is headquartered in Toulouse, France, with offices in Singapore and Denver, Colorado.
In 2019, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) started a pilot project to demonstrate how an autonomous, electric shuttle could operate in a business park, university campus, hospital, and shopping mall. Working with EasyMile, UDOT is trying out the EZ10 shuttle at 10 locations over 12 months in and around Salt Lake City. Anyone can ride the shuttle and provide feedback on autonomous vehicle technology. The results of the pilot will influence the future of transportation in Utah.
Started in 2020, another pilot project is in progress at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) that encompasses passenger transport with the EZ10 shuttle and the use of TractEasy, an electric tow tractor for baggage transport from aircraft to passenger terminals. Hundreds of travelers have taken advantage of the EZ10 driverless shuttle as a new mobility option when parking in the DWF airport’s remote south parking lot. TractEasy electric tow tractors provide automated baggage handling at the airport or material handling within a manufacturing facility. The tow tractor can operate at speeds of 15 miles per hour in manual mode and nine mph in autonomous mode. It can tow up to 25 tons and connects to infrastructures like automatic doors or gates and barriers.
New flyer electric bus
In May of 2019, New Flyer and Robotic Research announced a partnership to advance automated bus technology through the development and deployment of advanced driver-assistance systems in heavy-duty transit bus applications. The Xcelsior AV is a battery-powered Level 4 autonomous full-sized bus. Testing will start in 2022 in a pilot program with Connecticut’s Department of Transportation. The bus is 40 feet in length, carries up to 80 passengers, and initially will have a human operator at the wheel as a backup to the automated system. The program is receiving funding from the Federal Transit Administration’s Integrated Mobility Innovation Initiative, which assesses ways advanced technology can improve public transit services.
New Flyer has been around since 1930 and is one of the largest transit bus manufacturers in North America with fabrication, manufacturing, and service centers in the United States and Canada. The company actively supports over 35,000 heavy-duty transit buses currently in service, of which 8,600 are powered by battery propulsion. Robotic Research provides autonomy software, robotic technology, and solutions that will enable the transformation of commercial, and government autonomous vehicles through intelligent systems. The company provides Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) for autonomous vehicles to the U.S. military as well as commercial transportation applications.
The Xcelsior AV can detect and avoid pedestrians and other vehicles through the use of laser/lidar sensors, onboard cameras, and radar that provide a 360-degree, 3D vision of the operating environment during the day or nighttime operation. The computers, software, and drive-by-wire systems are provided by Robotic Research. Initially, a human safety attendant is used to control the automated system. The attendant can switch seamlessly between manual and robotic control of the bus. The Xcelsior AV and its command system can share information about route conditions and road hazards with other buses in the network to keep them moving as efficiently as possible.
All-electric buses and technicians
Automotive technicians should take advantage of the growth in the all-electric bus population by being ready to service and repair them. This is also true for automobiles, and even light trucks as the number of hybrids and all-electric vehicles go up every year. While general servicing and maintenance tasks for diesel-powered buses and heavy-duty trucks can be performed by technicians trained in conventional operating systems, all-electric vehicles require additional knowledge.
Electric buses share common systems with conventional vehicles like suspension, braking systems, wheels/tires, air conditioning, lighting, and passenger compartment components. However, all-electric buses have systems and components that will not be familiar to many technicians including up to 2500+ pounds of battery packs, battery cooling system, generators, power inverters, multiple electric, liquid-cooled traction motors, unique drive-line power transmission components, regenerative braking systems, energy management systems and 50 to 1500 volts present on heavy-duty wiring systems.
If the bus is capable of autonomous operation, then drive-by-wire systems for steering and braking will be present as well as lidar/radar sensors and multiple cameras. All of these components have to be calibrated if removed or if the vehicle is in a fender bender and the sensors have been knocked out of alignment.
Most technicians won’t hesitate to purchase a new tool if it can help them perform a job faster. New technology training is no different and keeping your personal skills toolbox up to date will keep you in demand as the service and maintenance for all-electric buses and other vehicles continues to grow in the repair industry. All-electric, autonomous public transportation is happening now on a limited basis but will become mainstream in a few short years. Don’t get left behind the technology curve.
