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Taiwan unveils first homegrown self-driving electric minibus

WinBus expected to drive local autonomous vehicle industry forward

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The WinBus. (Automotive Research & Testing Center photo)

The WinBus. (Automotive Research & Testing Center photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC), a government-sponsored vehicle testing and R&D institute in Taiwan, recently unveiled Taiwan’s first indigenous self-driving, purely electric minibus -- the WinBus -- said a Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) news release.

The WinBus meets the Society of Automotive Engineering's (SAE) level 4 autonomous-driving (high-automation) standard, according to the ARTC. “In fixed or closed fields, the self-driving electric vehicle can fully accomplish all environment-monitoring and self-driving tasks without human intervention,” the center said.

“The Made-in-Taiwan minibus is an integration of more than 20 suppliers in the local supply chain, contributing to its chassis, powertrain, battery, body, and key systems for sensing, decision-making, network connection, etc.,” the ARTC added.

ARTC Chairman Joe Huang said that the rollout of the self-driving minibus is a key milestone for the local autonomous-vehicle industry and public transportation services.

The center said it would kick off a commercial operation project for the minibus with a team of private companies in the fourth quarter in 2019, offering shuttle-transport services in the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park to accumulate more operation credits.

Huang added that the center's goal is to export key systems and innovative business models of the WinBus to global customers.


(Automotive Research & Testing Center video)