Russia takes the fast lane into the world of driverless vehicles

Russia takes the fast lane into the world of driverless vehicles

The test drive at FEFU will be held jointly with the company behind the project, Bakulin Motors Group (BMG), reported the university's press office. 

Other Russian companies, however, are also deeply involved in the development of autonomous vehicles. For instance, the famous truck maker Kamaz, and the Internet company, Yandex, announced plans to create a driverless buses and cars.

 

Matryoshka M2B8, a self-driving passenger bus on display at the 10th Transport of Russia International Forum and Exhibition held at Moscow's Gostiny Dvor. / Dmitry Serebryakov/TASS

Matryoshka is a fully autonomous vehicle developed by residents of the Skolkovo innovation center, which can carry passengers, cargo and be used as a public utility vehicle.

The electric bus has a passenger capacity of 8-12 people, and its battery takes four hours to fully charge and can go 80 miles at a speed of 18 mph. If necessary, passengers can call the operator via video call. Some 80 percent of the vehicle’s components are made in Russia.

BMG’s CEO and owner, Alexei Bakulin, said in May that a prototype bus costs 8.5 million rubles, but when the bus enters serial production the price should go down to 3.5 million rubles. 

Since Russia does not yet have traffic rules for driverless vehicles, Matryoshka's first tests were conducted on Skolkovo's closed grounds. BMG's plans include testing the vehicle in city traffic.

Read more : https://www.rbth.com/business/2017/07/03/russia-takes-the-fast-lane-into-the-world-of-driverless-vehicles_794665