Coast Autonomous has been selected by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to provide autonomous vehicle services for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in New Clark City, Philippines.
A fleet of electric Coast P-1 Self-Driving Shuttles will showcase the future of urban transportation by running a service between the athletes’ village, aquatic center and athletics stadium in New Clark City.
SEA Games is a biennial event with approximately 8,750 athletes from 11 countries participating in 57 sports and targeting more than 500 million viewers. The Philippines is hosting the 30th SEA Games from November 30 to December 11, 2019, in multiple venues around the country.
Each P-1 shuttle has a capacity of up to 20 passengers (depending upon the seating configuration) and can operate safely in pedestrian areas, in mixed traffic, or on a dedicated lane. Designed as a first- and last-mile mobility solution, the P-1 shuttle is ideally suited to working at low speeds, but is capable of reaching 50mph (80km/h) in a dedicated lane.
“Cities must be for people,” said Vivencio Dizon, president and CEO of BCDA. “Hosting the SEA Games at New Clark City is an opportunity to showcase our vision of a modern, smart and green metropolis. Part of this vision is to adopt new modes that can complement our existing transportation and provide the best living and working environment for our people. We are excited to work with Coast Autonomous to provide a unique self-driving service for the athletes and an opportunity for the public to sample the next generation of urban mobility. Traffic problems are well documented in the region, and we believe that these are the types of vehicles that can begin to turn the tide, remove congestion and give cities back to the people.”
David Hickey, chairman and CEO of Coast Autonomous, added, “The Philippines once had a robust electric streetcar system that carried 35 million passengers and was the envy of Asia. Shared, electric self-driving shuttles are the natural successors to the streetcar and can form the backbone of a new, clean and more efficient streetcar system.”