Bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis has completed construction of the first Enviro100AEV autonomous electric bus for the Connector project in Cambridge, ahead of track testing.
Backed by Innovate UK, the Connector project consortium is led by the Greater Cambridge Partnership with Fusion Processing, IPG Automotive, dRISK, Gamma Energy and Alexander Dennis. It is part-funded and supported by the UK Government’s Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles.
Consortium partners joined Alexander Dennis representatives at the manufacturer’s technology hub in Farnborough for the revealing of the Enviro100AEV.
Using an innovative funding model, the Alexander Dennis Enviro100AEV buses for the Connector project will be owned by Mistral Group and leased to the Greater Cambridge Partnership.
The bus will now enter a period of track-based testing to calibrate and fine-tune Fusion Processing’s CAVStar automated drive system before delivery to Cambridge. This will be followed by testing and training for the safety drivers that will provide on-board supervision when public services commence later this year at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
Jamie Wilson, Head of Concepts & Advanced Engineering for Alexander Dennis, said:
“The completion of the first Enviro100AEV is a great milestone for the Connector project as we now enter a phase of vehicle testing to ready the technology for public services. This builds on the substantial work we have done with Fusion Processing and other partners in similar projects to further refine this technology as we continue to explore use cases where autonomous buses can improve operational efficiency and add flexibility to transport networks.”
Cllr Elisa Meschini, Chair of the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Executive Board, said:
“Connector will see autonomous vehicles being trialled on our city’s roads to investigate their potential to transform the way people travel. This is a significant opportunity for Cambridge to lead the way in innovation, paving the way for more sustainable and efficient ways to get to where people need to go. Seeing the first vehicle arrive and be ready for testing is a testament to the collaborative efforts of everyone involved with the consortium and I look forward to seeing how this technology can potentially shape the future of public transport.”
Image courtesy of Alexander Dennis
