Future mobility in cities : no petrol, no drivers, less pollution.
Date: 2012-06-11
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: clean technology, means of transport, new technology, non-polluting vehicle, sustainable development

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Future mobility

in cities: no petrol, no drivers, less pollution

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The pods travel up to 35 km per hour – quietly, 
comfortably and at the push of a button – 
following pavement lines with optical navigation. 
Eventually, these “ULTra” pods could form a 
network of automated cars connecting Heathrow 
and other European airports to transport hubs, 
city centres and other central points. 

Heathrow’s  automated  “cybercars”  are  the 
ce nt r epie ce  of  t he  E U -fu n d e d  r e sear c h 
project, CityMobil. Drawing together experts 
and expertise in a truly European scientific 
effort, CityMobil’s unique team of researchers 
has worked to develop entirely new forms of 
urban transportation. The idea is to replace 
conventional cars and buses with vehicles that 
passengers can use on-demand, and semi-
automatic buses that can use both overhead 
tram wires and internal combustion engines.

Every  day,  Europe’s  urban  streets  are 

clogged by excessive traffic and blocked 
by  accident s,  roadworks  and  other 
hazards. It is little wonder that 90% of Europeans 
think that traffic congestion in their cities and 
neighbourhoods needs to be improved.(1) 

At London’s Heathrow Airport, a glimpse of the 
transport systems of the future is coming into 
view – while also demonstrating the fruits of 
Europe-wide technological cooperation.

Marking a world first for automated travel, 
“pods” shuttle travellers between a car park and 
Terminal 5 along a dedicated path – without 
the need for a driver or petrol. Installed in 
April 2011, these battery-powered vehicles 
rendered obsolete the two diesel-propelled 
buses that looped around the airport all day 
long – regardless of how many passengers 
were on board. The pods, however, only run 
when summoned by passengers, saving fuel 
and reducing pollution. 

(1)  European Commission, Attitudes on issues related to EU Transport 
Policy: Analytical report, Flash Eurobarometer, July 2007, p. 5.

Research and 
Innovation

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“ We  have  shown  t hat  t hese  vehicles  are 
technically feasible”, said Suzanne Hoadley of 
the Brussels-based policy organisation Polis, 
one of CityMobil’s 29 partners. “In the coming 
years, we expect to see a steady increase in 
the number of these systems being installed 
in Europe.”

To widen the potential, CityMobil researchers 
have worked to create an ongoing research 
and development programme to engage more 
scientists  and  stimulate  more  innovation, 
lower the administrative barriers to automated 
vehicles, advise government officials on how they 
can benefit from new forms of transport, and 
publicise the results of their work to the broader 
scientific and transport communities. They are 
also working to increase public acceptance of 
revolutionary technologies, which may become 
commonplace in the future. 

The  commercial  possibilities  are  immense, 
which  could  create  a  true  niche  market  to 
bring economic development, technological 
innovations and jobs to Europe. CityMobil is 
already drawing interest from city and airport 
officials throughout Europe and the US. 

In addition to the Heathrow pods, CityMobil 
installed hybrid buses in the scenic, oceanside 
city of Castellón, Spain. Following a route that 
links a university with a park in the city centre, 
bus drivers can use the self-guiding system to 
supervise the route and only use the steering 
wheel in an emergency. CityMobil was also put 
on display in Finland, France, Italy, Norway and 
the UK, where the public could ride in cybercars 
and other advanced vehicles.

CityMobil researchers envisage a person being 
able to summon a cybercar to their home or a 
bus stop, push a button corresponding to their 
destination, and be driven automatically along 
the quickest route – a personalised taxi with no 
driver who may get lost or cause an accident. 

These automated pods are cheaper than high-
speed rail, making them attractive to budget-
tightening  governments.  They  use  half  the 
energy of buses and one-fourth that of cars. 
Eventually they could be used on regular roads. 
Such a system would be ideal for the elderly, the 
disabled, and people without a driver’s licence.

CityMobil

Project Total Cost: €40.6 million

Project EU Contribution: €11 million

Partners from: Netherlands, Spain, Italy, 
France, United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, 
Switzerland, Belgium, Israel, Sweden

www.citymobil-project.eu