Australia begins testing of self-driving electric bus

PERTH — Perth, the capital of West Australia, has become the first city in Australia to test a self-driving battery electric bus, Hybridcars.com reported.

The Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia (RAC) received a specific permit from the state government to conduct the three-month test that began last week on public roads, according to the report. The route is about 1.6 miles  long, and takes 20 minutes to complete the circuit.

Built by the French company NAVYA SAS, the $250,000 RAC Intellibus can shuttle 11 passengers and is capable of a 28 mph speed, but during the Perth test will only travel at 12 mph, Hybridcars.com reported.