National Smart Vehicle Joint Procurement Initiative

The National Smart Vehicle Joint Procurement Initiative aims to standardize and deploy electric low-speed automated shuttle (e-LSA) technologies so that systems from different manufacturers can be autonomous, but cooperative at the same time. The project will deploy e-LSAs across multiple Canadian cities to achieve shared mobility applications for transit agencies and airport authorities.

The project has addressed the challenge of high capital costs by developing an innovative model for joint ventures involving public and private financing.

At the same time, CUTRIC is working with its members and partners in both the public and private sectors to develop and deploy standard technology that:

• Coordinates short-range communication
• Communicates from vehicle-to-vehicle and from vehicle-to-base
• Increases cybersecurity
• Creates common, automated charging systems
• Manages fleets

CUTRIC is also designing new public-private partnerships to support advances in:

• Finance, supply, maintenance and operation of driverless smart vehicles
• Roadside infrastructure
• Long-term management of multi-manufacturer fleets

Intellectual Property and Research Outcomes

CUTRIC has recruited six universities and colleges for its National Academic Committee for Smart Vehicles. Its research on alternate transit systems includes cybersecurity, performance, design, and consumer acceptance. We expect outcomes that:

• Visualize how low-speed, electric shuttles work in public transit to provide shared mobility services
• Provide effective cybersecurity across vehicles and infrastructure
• Design standards for harmonized charging systems and single-fleet operating systems across manufacturers
• Assess the hackability of these vehicles to ensure they are safe for Canadians to use

The CUTRIC-ACATS Project Final Report, meanwhile, underscores the need for wider on-road deployments of e-LSAs in 2021. Funded by Transport Canada’s Advance Connectivity and Automation in the Transportation System (ACATS) program, our research confirms that using e-LSAs as first-kilometre/last-kilometre transit solutions offers benefits ranging from increased transit ridership and decreased car parking space requirements to an overall reduction in transit and transportation emissions.

The report used CUTRIC’s Rout∑.i™ predictive modelling toolset to simulate the performance of e-LSAs on routes proposed by municipal or transit staff in nine Canadian cities: Calgary, Trois-Rivières, Surrey, Brampton, Edmonton, Vancouver, York Region, Montréal, and Québec City.

The report analyzes energy consumption, ridership impact and cyber-security issues, details standards and certifications for e-LSAs, and explores technical outcomes presented by industry leaders after 36 months of technical consultations nationwide.