Volkswagen to develop self-driving electric shuttles for Qatar

Volkswagen will help develop a fleet of self-driving electric shuttles for use in Qatar’s capital Doha by 2022.

Volkswagen Group and Qatar have agreed to develop a public transit system of autonomous shuttles and buses y 2022 for Doha.

Volkswagen and the Qatar Investment Authority signed an agreement for the self-driving Level 4 electric vehicles, without specifying the project’s cost.

It is an expansive project that will involve four brands under VW Group, including Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania, its shared ride service MOIA and Audi subsidiary Autonomous Intelligent Driving, or AID.

The aim is to develop the entire transport system, including the electric autonomous shuttles and buses, legal framework, city infrastructure and ride-hailing software required to deploy a commercial service there.

The autonomous vehicles will be integrated into existing public transit.

The fleet will include 35 autonomous electric ID. Buzz vehicles from the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles unit, which will shuttle up to four passengers on semi-fixed routes in a geo-fenced area of Doha.

The fleet will include 35 autonomous electric ID. Buzz vehicles from the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles unit, which will shuttle up to four passengers on semi-fixed routes in a geo-fenced area of Doha.

Closed testing of the shuttle vehicles and buses is expected to begin in 2020. Trials could start as early as 2021. VW and QIA said the project will go live by the end of 2022.

Earlier, the world’s fully electric plane took its inaugural test flight from the Canadian city of Vancouver and offer hopes that airlines may end their polluting emissions.

“This proves that commercial aviation in all-electric form can work,” said Roei Ganzarski, chief executive of Seattle-based engineering firm magniX.

The company designed the plane’s motor and worked in partnership with Harbour Air, which ferries half a million passengers a year between Vancouver, Whistler ski resort and nearby islands and coastal communities.

The World’s First Fully Electric Plane Has Flown Successfully for Almost 15 Minutes.