For over four years, the SHOW project has made significant strides in advancing the integration of shared, connected, automated and electrified vehicles into public transport. With 22 pilots in 13 European countries, the project has collected massive input that will facilitate the rollout of CCAM. The variety of pilot sites has enabled the project partners to assess the performance of the vehicles and deployed services and technologies, with a strong focus on user acceptance. The SHOW Demo Awards recognizes some of the outstanding achievements of the different pilots.
The Artic Award: Tampere
The Finnish pilot, led by ERTICO partner VTT, Sensible 4 and Remoted, focuses on the last mile for people and cargo, with automated vehicles operating as feeders for the tram service in the city. The integration of this automated fleet is aimed at making Tampere’s public transport network more inclusive, connecting the suburban areas where the tram line is not available, and freeing these areas from the need for private cars to commute.
Tampere advanced its use case with an additional challenge: the cold Finnish winter. This pilot has successfully driven its vehicles under -20°C, the coldest temperature recorded in the project, which has posed the need to adapt the batteries’ charging timings. The pilot partners have worked closely with the municipality to enhance road maintenance and reduce the potential hazards caused by the winter weather, including snow, ice and gravel.
Most passengers moved: Monheim & Linköping
The project’s pilots are critical to its success, providing real-world data on deployment outcomes. Moving people is the best way to evaluate and adapt the services as needed. Two pilots stand out in this category. The Monheim site shuttles, aimed at optimizing the cities’ public transport to ensure safe and comfortable rides in complex scenarios, have transported over 50,000 users. As a connection between the old town and the central bus station, these vehicles drive on narrow streets where bigger buses don’t fit. The service is particularly valuable for people with mobility needs and the elderly. Linköping, in Sweden, ranks as the second demo location transporting the largest number of people, having moved more than 13,000 passengers.
Community Engagement Award: Carinthia
SHOW takes a strong societal approach. Its technologies and services seek to improve citizens’ quality of life. The project has carried out multiple activities to gain a better understanding of the user’s needs and requirements, including services, awareness events, workshops, training, etc. Although a common goal for all the pilots, one in particular has done outstanding work in this regard. The Carinthian site partners Yunex Traffic (ERTICO partner), SURAAA, the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Ioki, and AustriaTech have led a number of initiatives to bring the audience closer to the functioning and impact of autonomous mobility. Highlights include an Ideathon where participants from different backgrounds provided feedback on automated on-demand services’ integration into public transport and a children’s event to educate the youngest ones about automated mobility.
Delivery Robot Excellence Award: Trikala
Aspiring to be a holistic real-life CCAV urban demonstration, the project is testing various types of vehicles, from shuttles to mid and large-size buses, vans, freight vehicles, robo-taxis and modular vehicles. To enhance urban logistics in Trikala, ERTICO partner ICCS, alongside eTrikala and the University of Genoa (UniGe) have integrated a fleet of small delivery ‘Yape’ robots. These robots can drive in the pedestrian areas, supporting the delivery of small packages in the busy streets of the centre through a booking system.
The SHOW project is culminating this year with a Final Event on 26 September in Tampere, Finland. The project pilots will present their main achievements, takeaways and next steps to ensure SHOW’s lasting impact.
