(c)iStock.com/Richard Sharrocks

The Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) has selected Delphi Automotive as its strategic partner for a pilot program to implement autonomous mobility concepts. Delphi will aim to provide a fleet of fully autonomous vehicles, and will develop a cloud-based mobility-on-demand software (AMoD) suite.

The AMoD development program and autonomous vehicle demonstration is part of the Singapore Autonomous Vehicle Initiative (SAVI), which was formed in 2014 to oversee and manage autonomous vehicle (AV) research, test-bedding, and the development of applications and solutions by industry partners and stakeholders.

Jeff Owens, CEO of Delphi, said: “As a partner in SAVI, Delphi will use a foundation of the same vehicle technologies that enabled us to successfully complete the first coast-to-coast autonomous drive of the United States in 2015. Developing a cloud-based software servicing capability integrated with the vehicle creates an end-to-end solution that will eventually allow our existing, and many potential new customers, the ability to enter emerging mobility markets.”

Delphi will be experiment on an urban, point-to-point, low-speed, autonomous, mobility-on-demand service in Singapore’s Autonomous Vehicles Test Bed situated at one-north – a business park in Queenstown.

The development of an end-to-end automated vehicle ecosystem with a capable cloud-based mobility-on-demand service will open new business opportunities for Delphi, which it can offer its existing and potential customers in mobility and connectivity, logistics, agriculture and mining.

The company has planned to conduct similar trials in North American and Europe in the future.

The Singapore LTA is keen on automated driving solutions which it plans to implement to make it easier for commuters transiting the "first mile" and "last mile" between a mass transit station and their home or workplace.

The Singapore LTA program will last for a period of three years and will be operational by 2022.