The car sharing of the future
Experimentation of an innovative car sharing model began yesterday in Brescia; it involves vehicles capable of reaching users on their own and departing independently to a car park, a recharging station or a new customer once they have finished using them. In fact, an electric Fiat 500 travelled its first kilometre in fully autonomous driving mode.
The project by Politecnico di Milano and A2A, part of the MOST (National Centre for Sustainable Mobility) research programme, stems from the need to develop innovative models for more efficient and sustainable urban mobility. The aim is to contribute to traffic reduction, improve environmental sustainability and optimise the car-sharing system, which currently presents operational criticalities.
This is a unique car sharing model in Europe that combines the potential of the electric car with that of autonomous driving, proposing a new paradigm of urban mobility, reducing the number of cars circulating in the city and transforming the service into a more sustainable experience.
The presentation of the project was held in the auditorium of the A2A waste-to-energy plant in Brescia. The event was attended by A2A CEO Renato Mazzoncini, professors Sergio Matteo Savaresi and Dario Zaninelli of the Politecnico di Milano, MOST President Prof. Ferruccio Resta and the mayor of Brescia Laura Castelletti, coordinated by Davide Alberti, head of A2A's Research and Development team.
The Politecnico di Milano confirms itself as a point of reference in technological research, with particular focus on the automotive sector and the development of autonomous driving systems, a strategic sector for the mobility of the future. The project aims to reduce the number of vehicles in circulation, improving road safety, traffic and environmental sustainability.
By implementing complex artificial intelligence algorithms and thanks to obtaining authorisation under Ministerial Decree 70/2018 (Smart Road Decree), the project has enabled several vehicles to complete urban routes open to traffic, dealing with situations such as roundabouts and pedestrian crossings successfully, demonstrating the ability to recognise and respond to obstacles in real time.
This experimentation represents a fundamental step forward towards new models of sustainable mobility, gathering and capitalising on years of experience gained by the Politecnico di Milano in the field of autonomous car track competitions, the 2023 and 2024 editions of the 1000 Miglia, and also through the wireless recharging of electric vehicles.
Sergio Matteo Savaresi, Professor of Automation and Control in Vehicles
The tests extended to very different contexts: from motorways to suburban roads, to mountain conditions with poor connectivity or through tunnels. This progressive approach aims to prepare the vehicles for increasingly complex scenarios, ensuring robustness and reliability of the algorithms.
In 2025, the experimentation will begin in Brescia, with tests on urban roads open to traffic to analyse the interaction between autonomous vehicles and the complexity of urban mobility. To support these trials, remote supervision has been introduced: a system that allows a human operator to intervene in borderline situations, i.e. when the vehicle is unable to handle certain circumstances autonomously, called ‘borderline cases’. This innovative approach means that a remote supervisor can monitor and control 20 to 30 vehicles simultaneously, paving the way for a future in which autonomous fleets can operate safely and efficiently without the need for drivers on board.
The initiative is promoted within the MOST partnership, thanks to the collaboration between A2A's R&D team and the AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous) working group of the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of the Politecnico di Milano.