The Russian innovation center Skolkovo has established a high-tech center for testing driverless vehicles. The center demonstrated the functions of the second-generation electric vehicle NAMI-KAMAZ 1221 SHATL. The driverless bus can seat 12 passengers and is equipped with a vision system, navigation equipment and downloadable maps. The car battery takes only 50 minutes to fully charge, and can run for 120 kilometers after being fully charged.
According to Aleksey Guskov, director of the SSC RF FSUE NAMI department and integrated project center, the body is designed from a monolithic basalt fiber composite frame. Developers say SHATL 2.0 is suitable for small-scale production. However, there are currently no technical regulations on certification and legislation for driverless vehicles to enable them to drive on public roads.
Self-driving cars will not hinder traditional cars, but stricter ecological requirements encourage automakers to increasingly use composite materials to make cars. To meet the growing demand for lightweight and innovative materials in automobiles, Henkel opens a composite testing center in Asia. In the future, more and more innovative materials will be used in the automotive industry.