You Might Soon Be Able to Ride This Autonomous Lamborghini at Clubs, Campuses and Airports  

New partners Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions Ltd and Tonino Lamborghini SpA revealed that they are working on developing an autonomous electric golf cart, bringing self-driving technology to an unconventional market segment. The two companies have formed a joint venture called Kinetic Green Tonino Lamborghini (KGTL), which revealed its first products, the Genesis and Prestige golf carts, at an event today.

The potential future vehicle doesn’t have a name and we know only a few indicative specifications so far, but it could be launched in roughly 12-18 months, if the companies see adequate demand for it. It is likely to have a range of up to 150 km on a single charge. It will use a 5.3kWh Lithium ion battery with LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) chemistry, which should be rated for at least 3,500 charging cycles.

KGTL will partner with Reliance Jio for the vehicle’s IoT-based digital platform and connectivity, WiTricity for wireless charging, Infosys for its autonomous driving tech stack, and Lusso Drive Fashion to offer bespoke interiors and customisation options. As for pricing, it will likely be considerably more expensive than the ₹8.61 lakh Genesis model or even the ₹12.05 lakh Prestige model. 

The autonomous golf cart would not only be aimed at golf courses. In fact, Kinetic Green Founder and CEO Dr. Sulajja Firodia Motwani says actual golf courses account for less than half of the use cases for such vehicles. They are ideal for enclosed areas such as residential complexes, educational or corporate campuses, malls, resorts, and even airports, where people otherwise have to walk inconvenient distances.

Such enclosed spaces are well suited to using autonomous vehicle technology. Unlike on actual roads where self-driving cars have to navigate to arbitrary destinations, deal with a variety of obstacles and be prepared to handle changing road conditions, Motwani envisions more shuttle-like situations where the golf cart would operate within controlled areas and on predictable routes at relatively low speeds.

While costing would be a key factor for institutional buyers, they will also have to consider whether passengers will be hesitant to trust an autonomous vehicle. Kinetic Green and Tonino Lamborghini will also have to offer compelling charging and fleet management infrastructure as well as comprehensive safety features and emergency response capabilities. The companies have not disclosed what sensors or battery types the future vehicle could be equipped with, or whether they plan to offer subscription and/or service models that might suit such use cases.