Southeast Asian Games Athletes to COAST About in Pasadena Company’s Autonomous Cars

Athletes to the 2019 Southeast Asian Games will find themselves being shuttled around in driverless vehicles provided by Pasadena-based COAST Autonomous.

The local, self-driving vehicle manufacturer will provide vehicles to move athletes around New Clark City, Philippines, during the November/December competition. The 2019 SEA Games target more than 500 million viewers throughout Asia and worldwide.

COAST Autonomous said in a July 9 statement that the Philippine Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) had made the selection.

The task at hand is moving some 8,700 athletes, from 11 countries, to 50 sporting events spread over a large complex.

The company said a fleet of electric COAST P-1 self-driving shuttles will “showcase the future of urban transportation” by running a service between the athletes’ village, an aquatic center, and the stadium inside New Clark City.

New Clark City is the former Clark Air Base, home of the United States 13th Air Force until 1991.

Each COAST Autonomous P-1 shuttle can carry up to 20 passengers and operate safely in pedestrian areas, in mixed traffic, or on a dedicated lane.

Designed as a first- and last-mile mobility solution, the shuttle works ideally as a connector between venues or to existing public transportation. Fleets of P-1 shuttles operating on a dedicated lane can travel further at higher speeds to provide a flexible, low-cost alternative to light rail systems, the company said.

“The SEA Games is the perfect event and New Clark City the ideal location to showcase the future of urban transportation,” said David Hickey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of COAST Autonomous. “The Philippines once had a robust electric streetcar system that carried 35 million passengers and was the envy of Asia. Shared, electric self-driving shuttles are the natural successors to the streetcar and can form the backbone of a new, clean and more efficient streetcar system.”

This  30th SEA Games will have events in multiple venues around the Philippines and will be the first major international sporting event to offer an autonomous vehicle service to its athletes.

To learn more about the company’s AV technology, visit www.coastautonomous.com.