Autonomous Electric Bus (AEV)

The Autonomous Bus Trial Findings and Proposed Implementation of Autonomous Feeder Service in Putrajaya is a pilot project spearheaded by eMooVit to evaluate the operational viability, safety, and public acceptance of autonomous electric bus services in Malaysia.

Below is a comprehensive overview of the project’s phases, findings, and future commercial roadmap based on the trial data.

Phase 1: Preparation & Technical Achievements (Mid-2024)

Before boarding passengers, the project focused strictly on ensuring the autonomous electric bus system’s safety and technical readiness. This phase involved extensive on-road testing without passengers to map routes, validate safety protocols, and optimize vehicle behavior.

• Trial Timeline (May 27 – June 26, 2024): The Autonomous Electric Vehicle (AEV) underwent rigorous testing across four daily sessions covering morning, evening, night, and midnight hours (12:00 AM to 4:00 AM).
• Bug Fixing & Tuning: Software developers optimized algorithms, resolved hardware/module issues, and tuned parameters to address harsh braking, vehicle wobbling, and passenger comfort.
• Official Showcase: The initial phase concluded with a successful Putrajaya Corporation (PJC) AEV Bus Showcase on June 27, 2024.

Phase 2: Passenger Service Trial (Nov 2024 – Jan 2025)

The public trial was conducted along the Persiaran Perdana route in Putrajaya to gather real-world passenger feedback.

Operational Details:

• Route Specifications: A 6.5 km journey hitting 6 designated government-office bus stops (including Kementerian Kewangan, Perbadanan Putrajaya, and Istana Kehakiman) with an average travel time of 40 minutes.
• Schedule: Run during off-peak hours (Monday to Thursday, 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM).
• Rider Requirements: Open to physically fit individuals aged 18 and older (excluding pregnant women or those with chronic conditions). Passengers were required to fill out digital pre-registration, consent, and liability forms via a QR code.

Technical Issues & Solutions Logged: During the trial, several technical areas were highlighted for refinement:

• Object & Traffic Light Detection: Range of detection was increased, and the model’s region of interest (ROI) was optimized to better read traffic lights.
• Mapping & Localization: Map layers were optimized using data from GPS Land Sdn. Bhd. alongside improved LiDAR usage.
• Control/Behavior: Successfully resolved initial issues of “harsh braking” and “wobbling” while continuously refining how the bus slows down at red lights.

Public Perception & Survey Results

To ensure independent data evaluation, eMooVit appointed Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to conduct a passenger survey ($N = 263$ samples).

Key Quantitative Metrics (Out of 5.00)

• Ease of Use (4.21) & Learning to Ride (4.27): Passengers found the interface intuitive and onboarding straightforward.
• Perceived Usefulness (4.22): Strong agreement that the service is highly practical for daily transport needs.
• Freedom to Travel (4.11): The highest scoring metric in comfort, showing people value the increased accessibility.
• Trust in Technology (4.08): High confidence in the advanced tech, though legal/regulatory clarity scored lower (3.73).

Primary Public Concerns: While the overall attitude was overwhelmingly positive (scoring 4.42 as a “good idea”), participants expressed notable anxieties regarding:

• Performance during adverse weather like heavy rain or fog (Score: 3.77).
• How the system handles unpredictable real-world traffic and human drivers (Score: 3.74).
• Cybersecurity/hacking vulnerabilities (Score: 3.59) and the total absence of a human driver/operator (Score: 3.65).

Future Commercialization Roadmap

Following the successful completion of the trial report in March 2025, eMooVit proposed a formal commercial expansion plan to transition into an Autonomous Feeder Service.

• Proposed Route: An expanded 13.3 km round trip directly connecting Putrajaya Sentral to the main government buildings along Persiaran Perdana.
• Target: Specifically designed to fulfill commuting demands for government employees and the public traveling to local agencies.
• Proposed Operations: Running strictly on weekdays from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM at 1-hour intervals, calculating a total of 7 trips per day (with a dedicated 1.5-hour mid-day break for vehicle charging).