In August 2016, Singapore-based nuTonomy, a company that was later acquired by Aptiv, launched the world’s first self-driving taxi service in a limited public trial in the One-North business district. The service, called nuTonomy, used a fleet of six modified Renault Zoe and Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicles, which were fitted with a range of sensors, cameras, and LIDAR technology to allow them to navigate the roads autonomously.
The trial was open to a select group of passengers, who were able to hail a ride through a smartphone app and were accompanied by a safety driver who could take over control of the vehicle in case of an emergency. The trial was the first step in nuTonomy’s plan to roll out a fully self-driving taxi service by 2018.
The trial was considered a big step towards the development of self-driving cars and a sign of Singapore’s commitment to become a leader in autonomous technology. Since then, other companies have also started testing autonomous taxis in different countries, such as Waymo in Phoenix, USA, and Didi Chuxing in China.
However, it’s important to note that the development of self-driving cars is still ongoing, and there are still many challenges to be overcome such as safety, regulations and liability. The deployment of self-driving taxis on a large scale remains subject to further developments and advancements in the technology.