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ZF Plans Autonomous-Shuttle Service in 2021
ZF Friedrichshafen AG and its 2getthere B.V. subsidiary plan to launch an autonomous shuttle service at the Brussels airport, transporting passengers between the terminal and long-term parking, in 2021.
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ZF Friedrichshafen AG and its 2getthere B.V. subsidiary plan to launch an autonomous shuttle service at the Brussels airport in 2021 to transport passengers between the terminal and long-term parking.
Tests without passengers are being conducted this year at 2getthere’s facility in Utrecht, Netherlands. Additional evaluations will follow next year at the airport, with a goal of launching passenger service in 2021.
The initiative is part of a step-by-step deployment that ZF CEO Wolf-Henning Scheider envisions for autonomous vehicles. He doesn’t expect fully autonomous Level 5 vehicles will be operating on public streets until about 2030.
Scheider tells Automotive News he is skeptical about other company announcements regarding near-term plans for self-driving vehicles. Noting public hesitation about riding in robotic vehicles, Scheider says autonomous shuttles will help people feel more feel comfortable about the technology.
ZF acquired a 60% share of 2getthere in March. The German supplier also is developing its own autonomous vehicle sensors and other enabling technologies.
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