NTDENERGY runs 2.3 km driverless minibus test on Pamplona streets
What's the deal? Navarra-based NTDENERGYDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has completed an autonomous driving test of its electric minibus, LAKOTA, in an urban setting in Pamplona. The vehicle covered 2.3 km without human intervention on October 22, navigating intersections and roundabouts at the NaVEAC Drive Lab circuit beside the Public University of Navarra.
How it works: The four-seat minibus ran at 15–20 km/h using cameras, LiDAR sensors, and high-precision GPS, combined with an advanced digital map to guide its driving system. The run included two modes — one lap with scheduled stops and a second completed without interruptions.
Pamplona's municipal police regulated traffic during the test to ensure safety.
What's the endgame? NTDENERGY, based in Tudela, builds electric and autonomous mobility solutions, including modular electric platforms and its Omnisteering system, which fits each wheel with its own traction motor, steering, suspension, and brake. The company said the test aimed to move technology developed in its facilities into real-world conditions that a closed lab cannot replicate.
Why now? The test ran at NaVEAC Drive Lab, a validation facility backed by the Government of Navarra and European funding that recently opened to outside firms. NTDENERGY called it a step forward in turning experimental work into practical urban transport applications.
Context: The run was a controlled exercise, with traffic regulated and police on hand — far from routine passenger service in open traffic. Across Europe, deployments are advancing: Leuven has operated autonomous shuttles on a public-transport route since 2025, and Spain has begun authorising Level 4 testing ahead of a planned robotaxi pilot in Madrid.
The signal: LAKOTA marks progress from development toward real-world testing for a smaller player in a field dominated by larger deployments. But a 2.3 km supervised loop validates the technology locally without establishing a commercial rollout or a competitive edge.
Read more: comunicae.es
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
