As part of a joint venture between RTA and Emaar Properties, driverless cars will shuttle passengers up and down Mohammad Bin Rashid Boulevard in Downtown Dubai. The vehicles, called EZ10, have been built by Omnix International and Easy Mile.
The EZ10 has a cruise speed of 25 km/h though it is capable of up to 40 km/h. The optimal usage for this vehicle is in pedestrian areas and dedicated cycle lanes. Within the vehicle, a moveable ramp allows access for wheelchairs. On a full charge, the EZ10 can run up to 4 hours with air conditioning and around 10 hours without air conditioning.
Passengers will be able to ride on EZ10 free of cost during the one-month trial period on a 700 metre route beginning from Financial Centre Street intersection to Vida Hotel, Downtown Dubai. RTA hopes the trial will shed more information on the performance of driverless transit technology under the harsh climatic conditions of Dubai.
The Phase 2 of the project will commence on successful completion of the trial, which comprises connecting downtown Dubai to Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera and Souq Al Bahar.
The driverless cars trial is the first step towards Dubai’s strategy of switching 25% of total commute in Dubai to driverless journeys by the year 2030.