Yandex has announced the launch of Europe’s first fully autonomous vehicle, which operates without a driver or controller in the passenger seat, Russian media reported on Wednesday.
The driverless cars are undergoing tests in Innopolis, a campus town in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan, Yandex was quoted as saying.
- The company added that the tests are the first of their kind in Europe.
The self-driving cars are accompanied by another vehicle with an operator on board who has a remote control in case of emergency, the statement said. According to the company, it is the third and final stage of a pilot program for a self-driving taxi service.
- Earlier this year, Yandex launched robotaxis in the Black Sea resort of Sochi and a district of Moscow, although a safety driver is required inside the vehicle.
Yandex has been developing its autonomous vehicle pilot program since 2018. Innopolis, a settlement built as an innovation hub, has served as its main testing ground.
- According to the company, local residents have so far made over 77,000 trips in its robotaxis, covering over a million kilometers.
Source: RT
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