Iveco Bus and EasyMile together for Autonomous Standard City Bus

Autonomous Standard City Bus from Iveco and EasyMile: yes, it can be done.
Testing of a prototype of a fully autonomous driverless standard bus, capable of operating in real-world conditions, by Iveco Bus and EasyMile has been successful. This achievement marks a key milestone for the advancement of autonomous transportation in Europe.

The bus has proven feasible for autonomous operations in bus rapid transit (BRT) lanes as well as on private sites. With a length of 12 meters, the bus can carry up to 100 passengers comfortably and safely. Technologies integrated into the bus include safety controls and navigation software. EasyMile also contributes what is one of the most advanced fleet management solutions and one of the first fully dedicated to autonomous vehicles.

How Autonomous Standard City Bus works

The 12-meter long bus – joint-developed by Iveco and EasyMile – can carry up to 100 passengers comfortably and safely. Technologies integrated into the vehicle include safety controls and navigation software. EasyMile also contributes what is one of the most advanced fleet management solutions and one of the first totally designed for autonomous vehicles.

The bus’s built-in autonomous driving system (ADS) allows the bus to repeatedly dock at stations in less than 10 cm.This is important because it improves accessibility, especially for wheelchair users. Maximum speeds achieved by the bus in autonomous mode have shown that the technology performs well even at 40km/h. Further testing indicated that the technology is also effective at autonomous speeds above 70km/h. Vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) capabilities allow the bus to anticipate traffic light phases, which means smooth stops and restarts with less energy consumption. In addition, precise maneuvering and stopping also enable automatic parking in the depot.

Comments from Iveco and EasyMile

Benoit Perrin, EasyMile’s General Manager, said: «We are very proud of this new collaboration with Iveco Bus, a recognized leader and expert in public transportation, which comes after our successful joint STAR project started in 2017. It also shows the maturity of our technology. Autonomous technology brings a series of benefits to bus operations, from additional safety to optimized parking or to improved on board customer services. Together we look forward to offering this new innovative solution to public transport authorities» .  These, instead, are the declarations of declared Stéphane Espinasse, Iveco Bus Brand President: «As a manufacturer that has a long-standing commitment to the development of driver assistance systems, Iveco Bus is proud of the results of this level 4 autonomous bus project. The tests carried out validate, among other things, a speed of 40 km/h. They are a further and necessary, but not final, stage of the project that we will continue to progress with our partners. The vehicle’s safety and management features now allow us to plan the next stage, namely, tests under operating conditions» .