If you want to peek into the future of traffic with environmentally friendly self-driving cars on the roads, then Estonia is the right place to do that. Tech company Auve Tech and the University of Tartu have begun developing a hydrogen-powered self-driving vehicle which is expected to be completed by mid-2021.
The purpose of the cooperation is to develop technology that enables the use of hydrogen fuel in cars. The hydrogen fuel system will be integrated into Auve Tech’s next-generation self-driving vehicles.
Enn Lust, Director of the Institute of Chemistry at the University of Tartu, Professor of Physical Chemistry said, “Our next-generation fuel cells operate at significantly lower temperatures than previously available on the market. This ensures a significantly longer life for these devices, and they will also be several times safer.”
Iseauto is Auve Tech’s first generation vehicle that has grown out of the company’s cooperation that started in 2017 with Tallinn University of Technology.
Väino Kaldoja, the author of the concept of Iseauto, has pointed out how important it is for tech companies to involve top Estonian scientists from day one, as Auve Tech has done. Only through collaboration between scientists and companies, the significant innovative R&D solutions can emerge.
Väino Kaldoja, the author of the Iseauto concept said, “This way we do not only create innovative solutions but also prove that great things can be done in our small country when we work together.”
Raido Lember, Director of Estonian Investment Agency of Enterprise Estonia said, “Estonia has played a significant role in developing CleanTech. It’s time to take it to the next level. With Auve Tech and the University of Tartu, it seems to be heading for the best possible direction in tackling the cost and efficiency of public transportation for positive environmental impact.”
There is also another vehicle being developed by Auve Tech in partnership with Skeleton Technologies. As a result of this project, a supercapacitor vehicle requiring a very short charging time should be completed already in the coming months.
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