Masdar City Sustainable Mobility Solutions Competition — Competition To Develop Next Phase Of Driverless Transit Network
As part of the recent Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy firm Masdar announced the launch of a new competition to develop the “next phase” of Masdar City’s driverless vehicle transit network.
While formal entry and evaluation criteria have yet to be revealed — these will reportedly be revealed by the end of February — we do now know that the winning solution will need to be emissions free and fully autonomous (no drivers present).
Other necessities include: the ability to operate outdoors in the relatively harsh desert climate of the region long-term; following Abu Dhabi safety regulations; and integration with other types of transport in Masdar City, including effective integration with the many pedestrian areas there.
The solution that’s chosen will cover “a 1-kilometer route linking Masdar Institute, the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and the recently announced My City Centre Masdar retail development.”
“We have been a pioneer for driverless vehicles since 2010 and the PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) system has become an iconic feature of Masdar City,” stated Yousef Baselaib, Executive Director of Masdar’s Sustainable Real Estate division, the developer of Masdar City, as quoted in an email sent to CleanTechnica. “More importantly, in carrying more than 2 million passengers, it has generated an immense volume of data to guide the future development of driverless vehicle solutions, both within the city and in other urban settings.”
He continued: “We are now pleased to invite leading transport solution providers to help devise the future mobility roadmap for Masdar City, in line with the anticipated growth of the development over the coming years. This will enable us to benefit from the rapid evolution of driverless vehicles in recent years, while staying true to our vision for low-carbon mobility.”
The winner of the competition will be selected by a Review and Advisory Committee composed of cleantech experts and companies, amongst others, according to the email sent to CleanTechnica.
Image via Masdar
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