Estonian autonomous vehicle (AV) company Auve Tech has revealed a new electric self-driving shuttle, MiCa.

The firm, based in the Baltic nation’s capital of Tallinn, has extensive experience in developing AVs, with its previous-generation products already transporting passengers in 12 countries.

But MiCa is claimed to constitute a major step forward, taking safety and practicality to a new level and allowing autonomous driving in various weather and traffic conditions, having been tested in heavy rain and snow in Estonia.

“Our international collaboration projects have helped us make improvements in both software and hardware to excel in the autonomous driving front,” said Johannes Mossov, Auve Tech CEO. “The new generation also helps ease the process of integrating autonomous vehicles into a variety of environments.”

MiCa’s Level 4 self-driving capability – which means it can operate unmanned – is delivered via seven lidar sensors and ten cameras, which provide 360-degree visibility of surroundings, while all the key safety-related systems like steering, braking, computers and sensors have been made redundant to minimize risk.

The shuttle is designed to provide last-mile transport in pre-mapped areas where the use of personal cars or larger public transport is not practical. 

Despite compact dimensions – it’s 13 feet in length, almost 6 feet in width and 8 feet in height – it’s claimed to be spacious inside, with seating capacity for eight, and its small turning circle makes it capable of negotiating narrow roads.

According to Auve Tech, this has led to strong interest in MiCa from countries that are densely populated as it is particularly well suited to urban environments.

Already a collaboration has been confirmed in Japan with SoftBank subsidiary BOLDLY, following the news that the country is set to approve Level 4 transportation on its roads in 2023.

This will see Auve Tech develop a Japanese-spec version of MiCa by the end of 2022 which will be running on public roads by late 2023, via BOLDLY’s operation management platform DISPATCHER.

BOLDLY said it researched more than 30 different autonomous mobility options around the world before deciding to partner with Auve Tech due to its “understanding of Japanese safety standards.”

“BOLDLY will operate Auve Tech’s mobility in cooperation with Japanese transport operators, aiming to realize the government’s target of ‘implementing autonomous mobility services in 40 regions by 2025’, and contributing to sustainable public transport,” added Yuki Saji, BOLDLY CEO.