Transfers between Adelaide Airport's terminal and long-term carpark are set to go driverless with the AU$2.8m (£1.7m) trial of a driverless shuttle.Adelaide Airport will trial three electric driverless shuttles operating between the long-term carpark and the terminal.Adelaide Airport Managing Director Mark Young said, "Adelaide Airport is keen to be an early adopter in this space. This will be a flagship project that, following a full feasibility study, has the potential to substantially improve customer service to match the expectations of visitors and travellers to our modern gateway airport.
"A small fleet of autonomous electric vehicles would replace our current diesel powered shuttle buses, servicing our long-term and staff car parks."Their compact size and agility will enable them to operate on a dedicated path at an increased frequency, potentially operating 24 hours a day, reducing road congestion and significantly lowering carbon emissions."The project will include new bus shelters that feature solar PV, LED lighting, CCTV and wi-fi, while the buses will use a dedicated charging station partially fed by our existing onsite 1.17MW solar PV generation.This is one of seven projects to claim a share of the South Australia State Government's AU$10m (£6m) Future Mobility Lab Fund to drive local development of autonomous vehicle technology.
