THAILAND SET TO TEST RUN SELF-DRIVING AUTORICKSHAW

Thailand’s ubiquitous tuktuk, the noisy, colorful three-wheeled taxi that’s been belching exhaust on local roads for almost a century, is getting a cutting-edge makeover to help carry the local auto industry into the future.

Beginning in November, a public-private partnership will test the nation’s first self-driving tuk-tuk in an effort to nudge Thailand toward the forefront of developing autonomous-vehicle technology in Southeast Asia. Startup Airovr, investor Siri Ventures and the Thai government will run the monthslong trial inside a gated Bangkok community, hoping that what they learn can be transferred into bigger vehicles like minibuses.

Most autonomous-driving advancements in Asia come from Chinese and Japanese companies— such as Baidu Inc., Pony.ai and Toyota Motor Corp. — spending billions of dollars on software development, partnerships and road tests. Southeast Asia doesn’t have a local champion, so Thailand views the technology as a way to bolster—nd keep relevant —an auto industry generating 12 per cent of its gross domestic product.

“The programme can build confidence among regulators and users that these vehicles can be used on public roads,” said Ekkarut Viyanit, Principal Researcher for the government’s National Science and Technology Development Agency. “This will accelerate acceptance of the technology in Thailand.”

The tuk-tuk was chosen as a test vehicle because the three-wheeler is more energy-efficient than a car, requires fewer parts, is cheaper and is more suitable for the country’s hot weather, said Amares Chumsai Na Ayudhya, Founder of Bangkokbased Airovr.

But this isn’t the usual ornate three-wheeler you see on the chaotic streets of Bangkok and other tourist spots in Thailand. The Airovr model has a minimalist design, with screens depicting speed and how much electricity is in the tank.

The 3D mapping system on the roof resembles police sirens, and the interior has handlebars so the tester can take control if necessary.

Because city streets may be too challenging for early-stage AVs, tests will be done inside a gated community of 10,000 people owned by Siri Ventures’ parent, property developer Sansiri Pcl.

But that doesn’t mean the tuk-tuk will have an easy ride. The testing area covers about eight hectares (about 20 acres) and includes eight condominium towers, a mall, a dental hospital and a school. Cars, motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians ply the streets.

“The tuk-tuk will allow us to gather data in a real environment with mixed traffic,” said Jirapat Janjerdsak, Siri Ventures’ chief technology officer. “After thousands of rides, we can analyze all of the feedback and information to scale up the project with bigger vehicles.”

The trial could last as many as six months. Developers will analyse the data with the intention of scaling up the program mewith its next-generation autonomous vehicles— 15-seat minibuses that Ekkarut calls “shuttlepods.” They will be manufactured by the government and a local automaker.

Those could be ready for service by as early as 2021.

The end result may resemble the driverless shuttles cruising New York’s Brooklyn Navy Yard, where four-passenger vehicles travel between the entrance and a new ferry dock.

Thailand already is Southeast Asia’s car production hub, making almost 2.2 million vehicles last year, and the government is trying to boost investment in EVs and AVs. —