Aussie tech partners to test cabinless EV in Europe

Australian autonomous and software-defined vehicle company Applied EV has teamed up with autonomous vehicle software developer Oxbotica to produce a fully autonomous cabinless commercial vehicle tested on publicly accessible European streets.

The Applied EV vehicle, Blanc Robot, was developed and built in Australia. It is a modular transport platform that can be configured for specific applications, including delivery or industrial logistics, and carries an exclusive centralised software and control system named BackBone that transforms any car into a software-defined vehicle.

The landmark achievement follows two years of extensive trials developing the system architecture in off-road and on-road operations across the UK, Europe and North America.

"The Blanc Robot — a zero-occupancy, all-electric, fully autonomous prototype — is exactly the new-type vehicle that will form the mainstay of the transportation industry for decades to come. Our partnership with Applied EV was fundamental in developing a vehicle that could achieve this milestone. Oxbotica is changing the way people and goods move, and the Blanc Robot is part of this journey," said Paul Newman, founder and CTO of Oxbotica.

Julian Broadbent, founder and CEO of Applied EV, said the successful collaboration with Oxbotica accelerates the commercialisation and application of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology.

"This exciting development positions Australian-developed innovations at the heart of the sector and the forefront of delivering AV technology on the streets of Europe. We're excited to see how this world-class product will continue to support the market needs.

"This is a historic moment for the automotive industry," he said.