FairPrice Group trials self-driving vehicles to move goods on public roads
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The Zelos Z10 autonomous vehicle, loaded with goods, at FairPrice's distrubution centre in Benoi.
PHOTO: FAIRPRICE GROUP
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SINGAPORE – FairPrice Group (FPG) has received approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to trial the use of self-driving vehicles to transport goods as it moves to improve its productivity and, at the same time, reduce its carbon footprint.
In a statement on Oct 24, FPG said it was the first organisation in Singapore to be allowed to carry out the final stages of a trial using autonomous vehicles on public roads for cargo transportation.
The supermarket chain said that the first phase of the public road trial began on Oct 18 and involves the autonomous vehicle going through “daily and nightly” test drives, accompanied by a safety vehicle.
Once the vehicle satisfies LTA’s standards for autonomous vehicle road safety, the second phase will begin, which will allow the vehicle to go on test drives without a safety vehicle to accompany it.
According to LTA’s website, Singapore’s safety assessment for autonomous vehicles is known as the AV Milestone Testing Regime, which comprises three milestones.
To pass the first milestone – which is required before any deployment on public roads – the autonomous vehicle will have to undergo a safety demonstration in a closed environment, such as a non-public road.
In response to The Straits Times’ queries, LTA said on Oct 25 that the Zelos Z10s had passed this test on Oct 11.
The entire trial will conclude once LTA gives its final approval.
Once approval has been granted, FPG’s autonomous vehicles will be the first in Singapore to transport cargo on public roads without human supervision, said the FPG statement.
The group is working with autonomous driving technology company Zelos Technology to introduce autonomous vehicles into FairPrice’s vehicle fleet, added the statement.
If the trial succeeds, Zelos Z10s – autonomous vehicles with a load capacity of up to 1,500kg and 10 cubic m of cargo space – will be added to the FairPrice fleet that will transfer goods between its Benoi and Joo Koon distribution centres, a distance slightly under 2km.
The vehicle runs on electric batteries, and a full round of charging will allow it to drive up to 210km.
The use of self-driving vehicles is expected to lower FPG’s carbon dioxide emissions and reduce man-hours spent on manual tasks. In turn, employees can be freed up to focus on more complex activities.
FPG chief supply chain officer Zeng Qiao Jia said the organisation is the country’s largest retailer, which means that its supply chain plays a “critical role” in ensuring that shelves are stocked, and essential items are kept within reach of everyone in Singapore.
The Zelos Z10 is the first fully driverless autonomous vehicle designed for the logistics sector to be allowed by LTA to operate on public roads, said the statement.
FPG group chief executive Vipul Chawla described the trials as the “culmination of many months of hard work from our teams and partners, to break new ground on the use of autonomous vehicles in Singapore”.
By introducing these vehicles into the supply chain operation, the organisation hopes to improve productivity and reduce its carbon footprint, he said.
As part of FPG’s ongoing efforts to ensure a sustainable and efficient supply chain, the organisation is also expanding its fleet to have more than 30 electric vehicles by the end of 2024, said the statement.
Earlier in July, Changi Airport Group, Singapore Airlines Engineering Company and Sats Airport Services inked an agreement to trial a self-driving bus
This aims to relieve airside workers from performing routine driving tasks, and allow them to focus on more complex activities.
