THE VOLVO 7900 ELECTRIC

Currently undergoing trial in Singapore, VBC’s new flagship 7900 Electric bus is the world’s first autonomous electric bus. A 12-metre long vehicle, the Volvo 7900 Electric is able to carry 93 people at capacity, all while producing zero emissions and using 80 percent less energy than a diesel bus of the equivalent size. Created in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA), the bus also features autonomous vehicle technologies, using navigation controls such as light detection and ranging sensors (LIDAR) that are operated by artificial intelligence. Once readied, the Volvo 7900 Electric will provide a host of benefits. According to VBC, for example, the total socioeconomic cost of road noise from buses will be reduced by 90 percent to €22,000 per kilometre per year, down from €175,000.