Vehicle Cost of a Fully Automated Shuttle with a Capacity of 12 to 15 Passengers Was Estimated from $225,000 to $250,000, with Annual Operation Costs Ranging from $15,000 to $100,000.

Fully automated shuttles, with their compact size and predetermined routes, offer an advanced solution for short-distance travel in both urban and rural settings. Understanding their impact and users’ acceptance is essential for addressing transportation demands and shaping the trajectory of transit-oriented mobility in the future. This study summarized best practices for deploying fully automated shuttles from safety, operational, economic, and policy perspectives, based on the analysis of data related to 120 existing deployments since 2016, from a total of 21 countries worldwide, collected from multiple sources such as research papers, newspapers, technical reports, and magazines. Specifically, vehicle and operation cost estimates were provided based on data for four different models of fully automated shuttles.

• The vehicle cost of a fully automated shuttle with a capacity of 12 to 15 passengers was estimated from $225,000 to $250,000.
• Annual operation costs for fully automated shuttles were estimated to range from $15,000 to $100,000.