People's Daily — World's 1st driverless rail transit system unveiled in Hunan

Chinese railcar-maker CRRC on Jun. 2 unveiled a new product called Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, and the bus-rail combo rapid transit system is expected to speed up city's public transportation.

According to CRRC, ART uses rubber wheels on a plastic core instead of steel wheels. It's also equipped with the company's copyrighted technology to automatically guide the vehicles. It carries the advantages of both rail and bus transit systems and is agile and non-polluting, Thepaper.cn reported.

ART is much cheaper than ordinary subway, which cost about 400-700 million RMB per kilometer in China. And compared with electric streetcars, which cost 150-200 million RMB per Kilometer, ART is only about one-fifth the investment. 

CRRC began designing the ART system in 2013. The first ART car is 31 meters in length, with a maximum passenger load of 307 people or 48 tons. Its top speed is 70 kilometers per hour, and it can travel 25 kilometers in distance after 10 minutes of charging.
The world's first ART line will be launched in Zhuzhou, with a total length of 6.5 kilometers. Upon completion, it will be able to dock with the city's mid-low speed maglev train.

President Xi said to innovate.

China.org.cn

World's 1st driverless rail transit system unveiled in Hunan
People's Daily Online

John Metcalfe — China Rolls Out the 'World's First Driverless Bus'

Still in testing stage but almost ready to roll out.

The manufacturer also says the bus has an efficient driving style—one “that can only be attained by years of experience of an attentive and careful driver”—that will reduce energy waste and thus make the ride environmentally friendly.…

This is another huge advantage of automation and robotics over human labor — standardization and optimization. Most people don't realize how important both of these factors are in the success of the modern industrial economy.

Now humanity is readying to take it to the next stage — and increase productivity, thereby making more leisure possible. Leisure is the material basis for freedom.

The Atlantic — City Lab
China Rolls Out the 'World's First Driverless Bus'
John Metcalfe

ht Tyler Cowen at Marginal Revolution