Local Motors develops Olli autonomous EV minibus

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City centres are typically congested, which is what makes mass transit the de facto solution. Local Motors, the open source vehicle manufacturer most famous for the Rally Fighter off-road racer, is going a step further with Olli, a fully electric minibus that accommodates up to 12 people.

Not only that, it dispenses with the traditional driver; Olli is an autonomous minibus that not only goes along its pre-set route, but can also take requests from passengers. The vehicle was engineered in-house, with its responsive “brain” courtesy of Watson, a cognitive system from IBM.

This allows Olli to receive route requests, as well as respond to inquiries regarding how the smart minibus works and its design. With its awareness of its surroundings, Olli can also suggest restaurants based on its passengers’ requested destinations.

The vehicle is equipped to go about its own business with light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology, which, along with other cameras and sensors, enables it to navigate roads and traffic autonomously.

The all-electric minibus weighs 1.5 tonnes and is powered by an electric motor capable of 20 hp and 125 Nm of torque, which is meant to take it up to a maximum of 20 km/h. Battery range is 50 km, which, while modest like the rest of its performance figures, should be sufficient for university and inner-city deployment.

So far, just one Olli unit has been built, and it is being operated under human supervision in Maryland. In case of anything going wrong, Local Motors says it will assume responsibility. Local Motors plans to further add to its operational units; one in Las Vegas, two in Florida, and four in Denmark, all by the end of the year.

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Mick Chan

Open roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry. Spent three years at a motoring newspaper and short stint with a magazine prior to joining this website.

 

Comments

  • I thought this was done by our local graduates

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 3
    • Yep. Looks very similar to the citybus concept done by a local green tech company. It was shown in KLIMS 2013 and oso Alami Proton last year.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • DPCraft on Jun 20, 2016 at 8:45 pm

    Underpowered

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
 

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