Gothenburg’s first self-driven bus being tested in ‘real traffic’

An autonomous bus trial in real traffic conditions is underway in Gothenburg, Sweden for the first time at the city’s Chalmers University of Technology.

The introduction of the self-driving bus to Gothenburg, the second project of its kind in Scandinavia, is to test how new, shared transport solutions can contribute to sustainable urban development.

The project is part of the Swedish government’s partnership programme, ‘Next Generation Travel and Transport‘ and is partly financed by Vinnova through Drive Sweden.

With driverless shuttle buses, the need for parking spaces is reduced and other urban spaces are opened up, improving air quality and congestion.

“We want to show that self-propelled vehicles are both safe and comfortable,” says Anne Rosa Simonsen, Communications Lead at Autonomous Mobility. 

Behind the initiative is a collaboration of 15 organisations and companies related to mobility, urban development and transport. Birger Löfgren from RISE Viktoria is leading the project and commented: “These small, self-propelled buses are a completely new type of vehicle that create opportunities we have never had before. The buses can help us understand how the cities of the future can be developed with less private cars and more resource-conscious modes of transport.”

After the four-week trial of the Chalmers area, the project will move to Lindholmen Science Park – an innovation hub in rapid development, where the trial will continue for six months. 

“This is an important and broadly organised project in which business, research institutions and public authorities work together,” said Löfgren. “During the trial period, we will conduct research projects on technology and user behaviour, enabling us to assess the long-term potential of implementing self-propelled solutions.”

The Arma bus, manufactured by Navya, can travel up to 20km/h carrying a maximum of 10 passengers. Weighing 2,400kg the bus can reach approximately 100km on one electrical charge and is currently operating in projects across France, the U.S., Switzerland and Australia.