Two driverless buses will be running on the streets of the Finnish capital Helsinki for some real-world testing during the next couple of weeks, report Finnish media. The EasyMile minibuses, manufactured in France, have previously been tested on public roads in Finland, but without other traffic around. But this is the first time they’ll be mixed up with everyday traffic.
The Belarussian company Belkommunmash Company will develop two pilot electric buses for the country’s capital which will be ready by year-end for testing. Electric buses are considered “a green means of transport of the 21st century” thanks to the total absence of harmful emissions, low noise pollution, and usage of clean energy.
VDL Bus & Coach has increased the Futura range with a compact 10.6-metre length variant, the Futura FHD2-106. This new Futura model dovetails seamlessly with the other models in the Futura family and benefits from VDL’s modular design and all of the advantages it entails.
This is a fully electric bus from the mini and midi range, specifically designed to transport small numbers of passengers in sparsely populated areas. The VDL MidBasic Electric is a community bus with 8+1 seats. The innovative, fully electric powertrain was developed in cooperation with Austrian company Kreisel. Depending on the selected powertrain and battery package, the VDL MidBasic Electric has a range of 200 to 300 km.
Chinese bus manufacturer King Long has commissioned ADAC Truck Service subsidiary Europe Net to provide breakdown assistance for Europe. The 24-hour hotline can be reached since July 1 on Freephone 00800 87825232. The rollout began with the launch of the 24-hour repair service in the UK and Ireland. These two countries will be followed by Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria, by the end of the year.