According to NAVYA, the future is both autonomous and electric. This is what the French company’s self-driving vehicles are all about. It’s clear that using electric propulsion reduces CO2 emissions and it’s also believed that autonomous driving should reduce traffic congestion. It could also be an innovative way to have more efficient public transportation.

How Do The Self-Driving Vehicles Work

Navya’s vehicles are considered to be at Level 4 capability as they operate in self-driving mode within a limited area, known as geo-fencing. The French company says its vehicles have been designed for “last mile” travel, i.e. the final leg of a trip. This is typically between a transport hub and the final destination – for example, between a public bus/train station and a rider’s home. One service is already up and running in Paris between the Réseau Express Régional train station and Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Navya’s Autonom Cab is also being used in trials at the University of Michigan and in Las Vegas. There are many similar trials all over the globe, which will likely be turned into actual services eventually – or even in the near future.

Great for Moving Medical Supplies

At the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, four self-driving NAVYA shuttles are being used to move medical supplies from a drive-through testing site to a nearby laboratory. Jane Hata, director of clinical microbiology laboratory at the Mayo Clinic says that using self-driving vehicles to transport the specimens is an “absolutely brilliant” idea.

Because there is already an established route for transit with very little traffic, this is the perfect test bed for using autonomous vehicles for such purposes.

There is no doubt that NAVYA is already making an international impact and its cross-cutting team of professionals is looking forward to making that impact even bigger. The company is offering new mobility solutions that are more intelligent and more fluid.

Cars are quickly shifting towards sustainability and motorsport is not far behind. Formula 1 had gone hybrid about ten years ago. NASCAR, on the other hand, has taken its time to make this move. The V8 engines are still popular with this racing company but come 2024, things are going to change for the better. As per Bob Pockrass, a NASCAR report for Fox Sports, Steve Phelps has said that hybridization will soon become a reality. Phelps is the president of the sanctioning body who also mentioned in another interview that this transition was to come in 2024.

There Will Be Changes

There are many changes that NASCAR would have to make so that hybridization is possible. For instance, oval races do not require cars to slow down and so is not conducive to the system of hybrid cars. Slowing down helps utilize this system to its full potential. Tracks that have more turns would have to be included in future races. Phelps is also said to have claimed that it is imperative to have a variation in schedules and these changes would be visible in the season of 2023, as per Pockrass.

Pandemic Delays the Transition

NASCAR was believed to go hybrid in 2022 but the pandemic caused delays. In 2019, John Probst, Racing Development’s Senior Vice President provided details about the system and said that braking opportunities would be the key to make it happen. However, the mechanisms for using electric power for the cars are still undecided.

New Technology, More Fun

The new cars will have some interesting upgrades like six-speed sequential transmission, independent rear suspension and more. There will also be new technology introduced for the new platform. The hope is that with hybrid power, NASCAR will be more fun to watch. And if that is not all, these cars will be more relatable.