After a few months' delay, tests with self-driving buses in Sälen are underway. These are Sweden's first tests of such vehicles in a mountain environment. Seasonal worker Emmie Eklöf says: “It feels a bit scary.”
Tests of self-driving buses in Sälen's mountain environment have started after a couple of months' delay. The project covers shorter routes in Sälen and Idre and runs from 2025 to 2027. These mark Sweden's first such tests with self-driving vehicles, permitted by Transportstyrelsen. EU rules still require a driver at the wheel, and the government highlights the importance of testing innovative technology for sustainable transport in Sweden. During one test, SVT Dalarna rode along, with bus driver Lena Gustafsson at the controls, ready to intervene if needed. Engineer Emirhan Kaya from Adastec, who manages the buses' software, was also on board monitoring operations. Seasonal employee Emmie Eklöf, on her first ride, called it “a bit scary”. The project is supported by ski companies Skistar and Idre fjäll, the municipalities of Malung-Sälen and Älvdalen, EU-funded SITE, and Region Dalarna. It has received 8 million kronor from Vinnova, Sweden's innovation agency.
