Christchurch Airport launched New Zealand’s first autonomous shuttle service yesterday (June 24) as part of a public trial to explore the benefits of self-driving technologies.
Developed by local startup Ohmio, the Kiwi Smart Shuttle will travel on public roads around the airport campus until the end of the week (June 28). Each vehicle is capable of transporting up to 15 passengers at any given time and will travel along a predesignated route at the airport.
Malcolm Johns, chief executive, Christchurch Airport, said, “This vehicle has been produced by our trial partner Ohmio. 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.”
Passengers can ride for free with collection times outside the terminal at 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm and 2:00pm, running from June 24 to June 28.