Continental Launches Series Production Of Technologies For Robo-Taxis

Driverless robo-taxis will become an important part of mobility in urban centers, helping to reduce traffic congestion and increase efficiency. Driverless transport systems of this kind are still rare exceptions on our roads today. Small autonomous shuttle buses with room for several passengers – which also qualify as robo-taxis – have driven on short, straightforward public routes during pilot projects and in designated areas at airports, hospitals, universities, and exhibition grounds. The technology that enables these innovative vehicles without steering wheels or pedals to move independently, electrically, and safely is almost entirely available today. At technology company Continental, researchers and developers in Europe, North America and Asia are working to make proven series production technologies suitable for use in robo-taxis. Already this year, Continental’s technology for driverless vehicles will be in production for the first time in French company EasyMile’s EZ10 autonomous shuttle. Continental has held a stake in this driverless vehicle manufacturer since 2017.

“The technological building blocks that enable robo-taxis to operate are available in principle and have been tried and tested in practice. However, we now have to intelligently, safely, and efficiently put them together to form an overall picture,” said Andree Hohm, Director of Driverless Mobility at Continental.

For Continental, automated driving is an essential building block of future mobility. It will significantly change people’s journeys, for example, on the highway, in the city, and when parking. In 2012, Continental became the first automotive supplier worldwide to receive a license for highly automated test drives on public roads in the US state of Nevada. Sensors, control units, brake systems, software, connectivity solutions, driving functions as well as information and control systems for automated driving are developed in a global network focusing on Japan, China, the USA, India, and Europe. In the future, this will enable a wide range of solutions between partially automated and driverless vehicles. The aim is seamless, efficient, sustainable, and comfortable mobility without crashes.