Australian-headquartered Applied EV says its sixth generation Blanc Robot autonomous vehicle (AV) will be ready for deployment with strategic partners in mid-2025.
Manufactured with no cabin and a configurable table-top chassis for a variety of jobs, the Blanc Robot can help solve global driver shortages in last mile logistics and is capable of operating in industrial applications where tasks by a traditional driver may be considered dull, dirty, difficult or dangerous, the company says.
Applied EV says it is ready to complete the assembly of the first 100 Blanc Robot vehicles, with all the body structures manufactured by Suzuki Motor Corporation, now shipped from Japan.
The sixth generation Blanc Robot is based on the Suzuki’s long wheelbase “Jimny” platform, significantly reducing production costs and enabling high volume production, says Applied EV.
Customers can expect double or triple shift up time from an autonomous Blanc Robot, improving economics and significantly reducing carbon emissions across large scale operations, it says.
Applied EV describes Blanc Robot as a true software defined machine, based on a safety-rated software and hardware architecture.
“All functions and features are software controlled including three Applied EV secure interfaces – Applied EV Drive API (autonomous and AI driving software), Applied EV App Space API (non-driving vehicle functions) and Applied EV Cloud API (secure data and diagnostics for third party applications).”
Technologies across the entire value chain have advanced significantly and there is a growing mainstream acceptance of autonomous vehicles, says Applied EV, adding business models are shifting from limited specialised deployments to autonomous fleets that provide a lower cost base and higher efficiency.
Applies EV says its vehicles come in a range of sizes and can be tailored for unique autonomous driving applications.
“The first 100 production units are underway in Australia, with the capacity to scale to tens of thousands to meet demand,” says Applied EV chief executive Julian Broadbent.
