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DRIVERLESS vehicle manufacturer Navya will set up shop in Adelaide bringing a manufacturing facility along for the ride.
The decision to land in Adelaide by Navya CEO Christophe Sapet follows discussions between the company and South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill in Paris.
Navya says it was attracted to Adelaide's carbon neutral and renewable energy focus, which aligns with its own interests.
The French company builds electric shuttles that are 100 per cent driverless and can carry up to 15 people.
Navya CEO Sapet says the decision to establish an Asia-Pacific home in Adelaide was an easy one to make.
"For us, it is a natural progression in our growth strategy and we are delighted to have been able to lay the groundwork of a partnership agreement with the Government of South Australia," says Sapet.
The French manufacturer currently has manufacturing facilities in Lyon, France and Detroit, Michigan. A plant in Adelaide will "secure operations in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific", according to the State Government.
The company's flagship vehicle, the Navya Arma, was launched in October 2015 and is the product of ten years of research. Navya says the vehicle has achieved the "highest level of autonomy possible", meaning the Arma is the first entirely autonomous series vehicle.
As the vehicle cannot move faster than 45 kilometres per hour, the Arma is primarily designed to transport personnel on private sites like airports, amusement parks, hospitals, and resorts.
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