Introduction
Gothenburg is accelerating its vision for 100 percent fossil-free public transport by 2030, and the next frontier is autonomy. In this podcast, Roger Vahnberg, Deputy CEO of Västtrafik, unveils the city’s upcoming driverless bus pilot—which have been rolled out in spring 2025 in partnership with Vy Buss, Applied Autonomy, and Karsan. Initially deployed on a dedicated corridor in Lindholmshamnen, the shuttle will navigate live traffic with state-of-the-art lidar, radar, and AI-driven obstacle avoidance.
By August 2025, residents will step on board for real-world service—albeit with a safety operator on standby—as Västtrafik gathers data on performance, passenger acceptance, and first-/last-mile integration. Beyond cutting congestion and CO₂ emissions, this pilot aims to redefine convenience through on-demand scheduling, seamless ticketing on the ResRobot app, and dynamic rerouting in response to events. Join Roger as he breaks down the technical, regulatory, and behavioural hurdles in scaling autonomous shuttles—and why Gothenburg’s model could become the blueprint for smart-city mobility worldwide.