Navya to Establish Autonomous Vehicle Headquarters in Australia
The French autonomous vehicle company Navya is planning to establish an Asia-Pacific manufacturing facility in Adelaide, Australia given the South Australian Government’s backing of autonomous vehicle technology and trials.
South Australia’s Australian-first driverless car trials, autonomous car on-road laws and international Driverless Car Conference have helped paved the way for the new projects to help the state transition its traditional automotive industry into advanced manufacturing and technology.
According to South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, “Establishing a driverless car vehicle operation in South Australia is the perfect bridge connecting our past in traditional vehicle manufacturing and our future in advanced manufacturing in a clean, carbon neutral environment.”
South Australia has established a $10 million Future Mobility Lab Fund to drive local development of autonomous vehicle technology and was the first state in Australia to legalise on-road trials of autonomous vehicles.
In March the South Australian Government announced AU$5.6m in funding for driverless shuttle and pod trials to take place in Adelaide.
The funding included $1m for Adelaide Airport to trial three electric driverless shuttles operating between the long-term parking lot and the terminal.
Another $1m was awarded to international driverless car supplier RDM Group to begin transporting goods at Adelaide’s Tonsley innovation precinct, with the aim of developing a market-ready autonomous delivery pod within a year. The UK-based company opened its Asia-Pacific headquarters at the Tonsley innovation hub in January.
The innovation hub has been specifically designed to enable businesses, industries and companies to collaborate with researchers and tertiary students.
Flinders University also received $1 million to collaborate with the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA) on a three-year $4 million driverless shuttle project to transfer students from public transport to its Bedford Park campus.
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