Background of the trial event (announcement event) for the demonstration experiment

Kaga City is facing a driver shortage due to population decline and aging. A demonstration experiment will be conducted for seven days from April​ ​17 to 23, 2024 to see whether autonomous driving technology can be used to address this issue, and whether autonomous driving buses can be introduced in the future.

In this demonstration experiment, test runs will be conducted on the section connecting Aeon Kaganosato store as the base point and Kaga Onsen Station and Yamashiro Onsen Soyu.  The purpose of this trial session (announcement event) was to let as many people as possible know about the demonstration experiment that will begin on April​ ​17th.

The experience session was held in front of Kaga Onsen Station, where the "Kaga Mirai Market" was held for two days from March​ ​16th as a Hokuriku Shinkansen Kaga Onsen Station opening event. The event featured many food trucks and tent booths, and many stage events, attracting many visitors.

It is expected that holding a manual driving experience session of the autonomous driving EV bus "EVO" at an event that attracts many visitors will stimulate interest in autonomous driving and deepen understanding of the demonstration experiment. 

Contents of the trial session (announcement event)

This trial session (announcement event)KagaOnsen Station andKagaThe event was held at a special venue set up in the middle of the city medical center. 

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schedule: 2024 Year 3 Month 16 Sunday (Saturday), 3 Month 17 Sunday 2 Days
※Hokuriku Shinkansen Kaga Onsen Station Opening Commemoration Event "Kaga Mirai City. "autonomous driving EV bus" EVO" A manual driving experience session was held.
Vehicle used for the trial: autonomous driving EV bus" EVO" [Gama (Old NAVYA) Co., Ltd.
Capacity: 15 People (during the demonstration experiment Ten (Conducted by people)
Speed: Max 25km/h (During the demonstration experiment 18km/h (Implemented in
Size: Total length 4,780mm, total height 2,100mm, Overall width 2,670mm

The EVO is an EV (electric vehicle) with a maximum speed of 25km/h, and is a vehicle without a steering wheel, accelerator, or brake pedal. It is an autonomous driving EV bus that can autonomously drive along a set route while checking the safety of the vehicle using on-board sensors.

At this trial, demonstration operations such as S-shaped driving and turning were carried out using poles and parked vehicles near the Macnica booth. In the demonstration experiment starting on April​ ​17, the same vehicle will be used, but for safety reasons, it will be driven at a maximum speed of 18km/h with a capacity of 10 people.

State of the venue

Kaga Future City. It will be the first day of 3 Month 16 day, About 200 visitors for test drives The majority of the visitors were locals living in Kaga City and the surrounding areas. Four Month 17 He explained the details of the demonstration experiment that will be carried out from the A lot of people were interested in it. I think.

​In addition to local people, there were also many people who lived in the Kansai area and people who came from the Kanto area as it was the opening day of the Hokuriku Shinkansen​. There were also many visitors from Yokohama City.

On the second day of the event, March​ ​17th, about 160 to 170 people attended despite the bad weather. Just like the first day, the second day was attended not only by locals, but also by people from various areas, including the Kansai and Kanto regions.

Throughout the two-day event, there were many visitors, including families with children and parents and children in their 60s and older, as well as three-generation groups. Among them, 70 to 80 percent were residents of Kaga City or the surrounding area, demonstrating the high level of interest in autonomous driving in the local area.

Future prospects

Many of the visitors to the trial session asked how our trial was different from other autonomous driving vehicles and initiatives. In response, we explained that Kaga City will use the autonomous driving Level 4 vehicle "EVO," which​ ​will drive on the world's longest public road at 10km, and will conduct a public road driving demonstration in a mixed pedestrian and vehicle space, which will further raise awareness and interest among the participants and create momentum for the actual demonstration.

Through this EVO manual driving experience event, Macnica was able to widely publicize the Kaga City demonstration experiment. The understanding and cooperation of local residents is especially essential for such autonomous driving demonstration experiments.

In order to promote understanding of the demonstration experiment, we will actively participate in such locally organized events and make an effort to allow as many people as possible to experience the mechanism of autonomous driving. In addition, we will support industrial innovation in Kaga City and widely promote advanced urban development in Kaga City and the surrounding area.

Inquiry

Macnica supports the practical application of autonomous driving in various regions and facilities. If you have any questions or concerns regarding autonomous driving, please feel free to contact us below.