FDM sees vast potential in planned driverless car-sharing

GreenMobility plans to launch driverless car-sharing vehicles in Copenhagen in the first half of 2027, pending the necessary approvals, Danish broadcaster DR reports. FDM’s political chief, Torben Lund Kudsk, says the technology could open up “almost unlimited prospects”.

The company plans to introduce the vehicles after entering a partnership with Chinese technology company WeRide. The move would take autonomous driving from level 2, where the driver remains fully responsible, to level 4, where responsibility shifts from the driver to the companies operating the vehicles.

“So we are at the second-highest level, and there are not many places in our immediate region at that level,” Lund Kudsk said. He pointed to possible level 4 services in London and Oslo next year.

Extensive regulations

FDM describes GreenMobility’s plans as exciting and ambitious. The vehicles will have to meet extensive requirements and receive approval at both European Union and national level.

“There is a huge set of regulations that needs to be put in place, but that does not mean it cannot be done,” Lund Kudsk said.

He said driverless vehicles could eventually help address mobility and public transport challenges beyond Copenhagen, including in rural parts of Denmark. In addition to eliminating the cost of paying a driver, driverless taxis could supplement or replace existing services such as Flextrafik, which he described as an expensive solution for many transport companies.

Potential for rural transport

Steffen Damsgaard, chairman of the Council of Rural Districts, also sees potential in driverless vehicles. He hopes politicians will consider rural districts when deciding whether to allow driverless cars on roads in the Copenhagen area.

“Mobility and public transport are strongly challenged in rural districts, and we also know that the fewer people there are in the same vehicle, the more the driver’s pay affects the total cost,” Damsgaard said.

He said driverless vehicles could eventually provide a cheaper mobility and transport solution. Unlike Flextrafik, which he said is mainly suited to occasional journeys, driverless vehicles could be used for everyday transport, either as pre-booked trips from one location to another or as a route service carrying more than four passengers.

That would require political action to establish the necessary conditions, he said. These would include technological conditions such as adequate data coverage, technical conditions such as clearly marked roads, and financial conditions that support implementation.

Damsgaard suggested launching pilot projects when the time is right, possibly on Danish islands where there is car traffic and local residents are open to a driverless solution.

Concerns about assistance

Damsgaard said not all groups would feel equally comfortable getting into a driverless vehicle. Older people and people with special needs may feel safer using the existing Flextrafik service, where a driver can provide assistance during the journey.

John Bergholdt, national chairman of the industry organisation Dansk Persontransport, said that personal assistance is an important part of Flextrafik.

“That hands-on service is something the driver provides. We still have to see how that can be handled with a driverless car,” Bergholdt said.

Flextrafik is part of public transport and offers several types of transport services, including for people with special needs and for residents in areas with few or no bus and train connections.