Sustainable living  |  21 Jun 2019

Christchurch’s driverless vehicle trial is moving up a gear with today’s introduction of New
Zealand’s first Smart Shuttle.

The second stage of the ongoing Autonomous Vehicle (AV) trial on private roads at Christchurch Airport will now centre on the new vehicle, which was unveiled today at the airport.

The trial is focused on finding answers to key questions about how the self-drive vehicles could operate in New Zealand.

Christchurch International Airport Ltd Chief Executive Malcolm Johns says it’s time to “ride the future”.

“This vehicle has been produced by our trial partner Ohmio,” Mr Johns says. “It is autonomous, electric and parts of it have been 3D printed.

“The Kiwi Smart Shuttle can carry up to 15 adults, so may offer more possible uses for us across our campus in future. In the meantime, we will continue testing and learning to understand its capabilities“.

Mr Johns says a small number of interested parties were invited to see the new vehicle for the first time today, and members of the public are also invited to take a ride over the next week.