FairPrice Group trials driverless cargo vehicle on S'pore public roads

If you see these driverless vehicles trundling along a public road in Singapore loaded with goods, don't be alarmed.

FairPrice Group has received approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for the final stages of trials to use autonomous vehicles on public roads for cargo transportation.

In a statement on Oct. 24, FairPrice Group said they are incorporating autonomous vehicles into their fleet, in order to improve productivity and lower their carbon footprint.

This is done in partnership with technology company Zelos Technology.

The Zelos Z10 driverless vehicle can carry loads of up to 1,500kg within 10 square metres of cargo space, and have up to 210km range.

It is the first such vehicle designed for the logistics sector to receive an LTA permit that allows it to be operated on public roads.

Being trialled in two phases from Oct. 18

The Z10 is currently being trialled on public roads in two phases starting from Oct. 18, 2024.

As part of the trial, it will undergo daily and nightly test drives — first with an accompanying safety vehicle, then without a safety vehicle in Phase 2.

The entire trial will conclude once LTA gives its final approval.

If it proves successful, FairPrice Group will add the Z10 vehicles to the fleet that transfers palletised goods between its Benoi and Joo Koon distribution centres, and they will be the first autonomous vehicles in Singapore to transport cargo on public roads unsupervised.

The vehicles, which run on electric batteries, are expected to lower carbon dioxide emissions and reduce man-hours for manual tasks, freeing up staff for more complex work, FairPrice Group said.

Alongside the trial for the Z10 autonomous vehicles, FairPrice Group will continue to expand its electric vehicle (EV) fleet, which is expected to exceed 30 EVs by the end of 2024.

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Top image from FairPrice Group