Robot shuttle $18 Bn market attracts diversity, IDTechEx reports

By OEM Update Editorial December 7, 2020 2:38 pm IST

Commercial vehicles go battery-electric assisted by battery life of one million miles (fit-and-forget) and ranges of up to 600 miles being imminent. Shenzhen alone has 70,000 electric logistics vehicles. Next come robot buses, robotrucks and robotaxis with driver elimination reducing cost by intensive use. IDTechEx has a report on the topic, “Electric, Hybrid & Fuel Cell Light Commercial Vehicles 2021-2041”.

Radically different robot shuttles will do these tasks and much more. Specifically for cities, they replace ten or more types of vehicle and they will be allowed to go where none of these are allowed, such as down paths, across plazas, into shopping malls, symmetrical so no U-turns, with some even moving sideways when needed.

Superb technology roadmap
Expect multiple paybacks such as windows on all sides carrying moving color advertising paying the cost of the school bus mode twice a day. The IDTechEx report, “Micro-LED Displays 2020-2030: Technology, Commercialization, Opportunity, Market and Players” describes that new technology. Solar-on-supercapacitor bodies replacing batteries, with wireless top-up?

Toyota Woven City plans robot shuttles as the only vehicles allowed centrally, so no congestion or accidents. Its e-Palette robot shuttles reconfigure from fast food to utility vehicles, taxis, buses, hire cars, parcel post and mobile libraries. The poor and disabled are empowered. No sidewalks needed.

However, all robot vehicles need to wait to 2030 or so to go big time with trusted, safe, insurable, legal, affordable Level 5 autonomy with no driver capability. Then exponential growth to $18 billion in 2040 awaits. Let us look at the latest situation with robot shuttles followed by an appraisal of new robot versions of what we have already.

Very widely trialing

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