Together with Arlandastad Group, RISE, Adastec and Applied Autonomy, Vy Buss has started a unique project with full-size autonomous buses. The goal is commercial traffic between Arlandastad and Arlanda Airport, one of many routes within the Arlanda area that has a demand for increased accessibility.
During the first six months of the project, the project team focuses on security aspects, the need for supporting infrastructure and legislation. A pilot bus is then tested before switching to commercial traffic. The project is partially financed by Vinnova and led by Rise.
“No similar project with full-sized self-driving buses has been done so far in Sweden, so it is both extremely exciting and very challenging for us at Vy Buss. We are now working in preparation to ensure all the prerequisites for then entering a test stage,” says Zakaria Abna-Aissa, business area director Vy Bus commercial traffic.
“Within Vy, we have experience with similar projects. In Norwegian Stavanger, we run a full-size self-driving bus and that project has been live since May 2022. We currently have three lines to and from Arlanda Airport with our brand Vy flygbussarna. Hopefully, this will be another catchment area that we can connect with the airport by using self-driving vehicles,” continues Zakaria Abna-Aissa.
The project’s connection to an airport will be unique in the world and the technology to create the buses is already available through the technology suppliers Applied Autonomy and Adastec. The buses go at almost the same high speeds as today’s buses and can operate around the clock, every day of the week.
The investment in full-size self-driving vehicles in the Arlanda area is a collaboration with several strong players who together drive the development. Buses are an important part of a functioning and sustainable infrastructure and the technology is ripe for taking development a big step forward.
Facts
The project is financed by Vinnova and project managed by RISE in collaboration with Arlandastad Group, Vy Buss AB, Adastec and Applied Autonomy. The project begins in April with a six-month preliminary study before a pilot bus is tested on stretches at 50–70 km/h. The goal is autonomous buses in commercial traffic. Applied Autonomy has developed a technology solution that enables the control of autonomous vehicles and Adastec has the technology with an automated platform for transportation.
Vy Bus is divided into two business areas, one for procured traffic and one for commercial traffic. The commercial business area includes the brands Vy bus4you and Vy flygbussarna. Within the business, there is also Team Verkstad, which services and repairs heavy vehicles.
Within the Swedish bus operations, Vy Buss has approx. 2,000 employees and has approx. 720 buses. Together, we have a turnover of just over SEK 2.1 billion and operate from 20 different depots – from Östersund in the north to Lund in the south. Vy bus4you serves Copenhagen, Oslo, Gothenburg, Malmö, Helsingborg, Karlstad, Västerås, Örebro, Arlanda Airport and Stockholm, among others. Vy airport buses run to and from Sweden’s seven largest airports.
Vy Buss AB is owned by Vy Buss A/S, which in turn is owned by Vygruppen, one of the Nordics’ largest transport groups in train, bus, freight transport as well as mobility and tourism. Vy Buss AB’s head office is located in Gothenburg with support functions within finance, marketing and communication, strategy and tenders, technology, logistics and HR.