Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

MIT’s NuTonomy aims to bring self-driving taxis to Singapore by 2018

Bruce Brown
By
Google’s self-driving car project, GM’s purchase of autonomous vehicle technology company Cruise Automation, and Volvo’s driverless car testing are all pushing driverless tech forward. Meanwhile, MIT spinoff NuTonomy is on track to actually put self-driving taxis on the streets of Singapore in two years, according to TechCrunch.
Recommended Videos

NuTonomy has been in business since 2013 and is currently testing driverless cars in Michigan and in the U.K. with Jaguar Land Rover. The company’s headquarters is close to its academic roots in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but the firm also has an office in Singapore. NuTonomy works closely with the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) and is making great strides in bringing autonomous vehicles quickly to the high-tech city-state. NuTonomy has been in Singapore for a while, and in 2014 tested self-driving golf carts there that could be summoned with a smartphone app.

Related

The SMART group focuses on improving citizens’ quality of life in Singapore with technology. In addition to driverless cars, SMART initiatives include improved security, cashless wallets, and a big push to support entrepreneurship. One component of the plan is to design roads in Singapore that are specifically engineered for driverless cars.

Singapore only recently started the process of approving ride-hailing taxi services, and NuTonomy is now testing a fleet of self-driving cabs it expects to be able to deploy commercially in the city by 2018. Clearly in Singapore, the economic climate and the infrastructure work in support of driverless cars, and specifically driverless taxi services, giving NuTonomy a boost in the expected real-world introduction of autonomous cars.

In January NuTonomy announced $3.6 million in seed capital funding. This week the company made public that it has received an additional $16 million in funding to further autonomous car testing. NuTonomy focuses on retrofitting existing vehicles rather than building driverless cars from the ground up. With testing in such diverse areas as the U.K., Michigan, and Singapore, the firm is gaining broad experience in the technology. And based on their project in Singapore, NuTonomy could be poised to be the first company responsible for launching a fleet of self-driving taxis.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
Contributing Editor
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more
Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Read more
Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs
Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.

Read more
Rivian R2 vs R1S: How will Rivian’s cheaper SUV compare?
The front three-quarter view of a 2022 Rivian against a rocky backdrop.

Rivian has finally unveiled the R2, its long-awaited attempt at a more affordable electric SUV. The new vehicle may not be available just yet, but fans of Rivian's design aesthetics and feature set are already looking forward to being able to order the new car. The R2 is targeted at being a more affordable take on the electric SUV and will sit alongside the flagship-tier R1S.

Let's get this out of the way right now: The R1S is most likely going to be a better vehicle than the R2. Rivian isn't replacing the R1S with the R2 — it's releasing the R2 as a more affordable alternative, and there will be some compromises when buying the R2 over the R1S.

Read more