New Atlas

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Volvo's first electric driverless bus swings into action in Singapore

Nick Lavars March 5, 2019

Singapore is intent on positioning itself at the vanguard of self-driving technologies. Now it is looking to ramp things up even further, rolling what it claims to be the world’s first full size, autonomous electric bus onto a university campus in partnership with Volvo.

With autonomous truck, car, taxi and shuttle bus trials already underway on the island state, Singapore ...

VR

FlixBus uses VR to take the yawn out of long journeys

Paul Ridden January 4, 2019

Even when plugged into a music player or playing games on a smartphone, long bus journeys can be tedious. If you ride a FlixBus on select Las Vegas routes, you could find yourself being offered a VR headset, to transport you to other worlds while the driver takes you where you need to go.

Passengers booking "panorama seats" on select Las Vegas FlixBus routes can opt for a VR headset ...

Automotive

Gallery: Trucks go BIG, bold, bright and bonkers at SEMA 2018

C.C. Weiss November 6, 2018

We looked at the cars of SEMA last week, and this week we dive into the trucks, utility vehicles and vans. The group includes the usual mile-high trucks and gaudy Wranglers but also some new twists, like Iceland-ready adventure vans, UTV/pickup truck half-and-halfs, and super-sized military jeeps.

Automotive

Muji-designed all-weather autonomous shuttle bus rolling out in Finland

Rich Haridy November 4, 2018

Japanese retail company Muji has joined forces with Sensible 4, a Finnish autonomous vehicle maker, to create Gacha, a stylish new autonomous shuttle bus designed to handle a wide variety of different environmental conditions.

The new Muji-designed autonomous shuttle bus set to roll out for trials in 2019

Automotive

Torsus Praetorian 4x4 puts some madness and adventure into taking the bus

C.C. Weiss August 23, 2018

Buses are a humble part of the urban backdrop you barely notice unless you're chasing one. No longer. Torsus is destroying that mold with a bus that's anything but humble. The all-new Praetorian 4x4 is a rugged off-road utility vehicle ... with a few dozen more seats.

The Torsus Praetorian hits the dirt road

Automotive

China's first Level 4 self-driving shuttle enters volume production

Paul Ridden July 4, 2018

Baidu has announced that the hundredth Apolong self-driving mini bus has just rolled off the production line, making it the first fully autonomous electric bus to reach volume production. The vehicle will operate as a last mile transport solution in Chinese cities before launching globally in 2019.

Almost ready to roll: Built by King Long and powered by Baidu's Apollo autonomous platform, the ...

3D Printing

3D-printed bus shelter goes into service

Paul Ridden December 29, 2017

3D printing has been finding a foothold in architecture over the last few years, with an office going up in Dubai, a tiny house printed in Russia and a cheap shelter layered from clay and straw by WASP's Big Delta. Now WinSun Construction has revealed the world's first 3D-printed bus shelter.

The WinSun shelter was 3D-printed at the company's factory and shipped to its currently location in ...

Automotive

Proterra bus sets EV record with 1,100-mile run on a single charge

Nick Lavars September 19, 2017

The electric buses from Proterra keep going from strength to strength. We first heard of its vehicles when its Catalyst XR logged more than 250 mi (402 km) on a single charge. Less than two years have passed, and the company is now reporting a run of 1,101.2 mi (1,772 km) for its Catalyst E2 max.

The Proterra Catalyst E2 has a claimed nominal range of 194 to 350 mi (312 to ...

Automotive

Formic acid joins the list of alternative fuels being put to the test

Scott Collie July 6, 2017

Students at the Technical University of Eindhoven in The Netherlands have avoided the storage problem of hydrogen-powered vehicles by developing a self-contained system that helps power an electric bus using hydrogen produced from formic acid.

The bus draws on the REX trailer for extra range

Automotive

Making idling buses and delivery trucks more environmentally friendly

Rich Haridy June 18, 2017

Idling engines waste fuel, but some vehicles need secondary systems powered constantly and are unable to stop their engines when stationary. A research team has found a way around this, by harnessing wasted energy from a vehicle as it slows down to power secondary systems when at a stop.

A system developed at the University of Waterloo can enable vehicles like buses to turn their ...