Toyota: The future rolls in Schaffhausen
PILOT OPERATION The Swiss Transit Lab has put the automated STL Line 13 minibus, a Toyota Proace Verso Electric, into operation in Schaffhausen. This public transport line can be used by anyone free of charge.
In mid-February, the Swiss Transit Lab (STL) received approval for the pilot project with automated driving. Automated driving is now allowed on public roads. Thus, the operation of the self-driving minibus STL line 13 started in Schaffhausen at the end of April. This is the first time an automated vehicle with dual-mode technology has been used in Switzerland.
In the pilot operation, the focus is on the development and use of mobility services in everyday life right up to the front door. The application takes place directly in the center of Schaffhausen between the train station and the newly developed Stahlgiesserei area. A safety driver is always on board. Operation and social acceptance
Dual-mode technology
In 2018, the STL launched pilot operations with a self-driving bus on Line 12, integrated into the public transport network of Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen, for tourist operations at the Rhine Falls. Building on this experience, the STL is now venturing the next technological step. In contrast to Line 12, the lab is now relying on a commercially available electric vehicle, the Toyota Proace Verso Electric, upgraded with sensor and actuator technology as well as software from the Finnish start-up Sensible 4 for dual-mode operation.
Dual-mode technology allows automated driving, but also manual operation of the vehicle. Conventional vehicles can thus be retrofitted accordingly.
330 kilometers in the city cycle
The Toyota Proace Electric is available in several versions: as a panel van as well as a passenger version Verso in a medium and a long version. Two battery sizes (50 and 75 kWh) meet different customer needs. The range is up to 230 kilometers and 330 kilometers respectively in the city cycle. Maximum power is 100 kW, maximum torque 260 Nm, and top speed is 130 km/h.
