A teleoperated, on-demand transport service has launched the next phase of its development at AC Lloyd Space Business Centre in Cheltenham.

Trilvee is developing the pioneering service to minimise congestion and cut emissions in UK cities while reducing costs for road users.

The company, which is based in London and made up of a team of software and automotive experts, will test and develop prototypes in Cheltenham, including a two seat, stabilised, three-wheel electric vehicle to meet most urban transport needs.

The lightweight, fully electric vehicle reduces the energy used per mile compared to standard EVs, without requiring the materials and energy of resource-intensive EV manufacturing.

It also reduces the initial cost of a personal electric vehicle and will reduce space and energy wasted on unoccupied seats.

Trilvee's research suggests that around two-thirds of car journeys are single occupant, with the majority of the remaining journeys having two occupants.

With Trilvee, a customer will request a car, and the driverless electric vehicle is driven remotely to their location. The customer gets into the vehicle and drives themself to their destination. When they arrive, remote operators will then drive the empty vehicle to the next customer or for top-up charging.

Trilvee hopes its service, which will accessed by requesting a ride via a smartphone app, will start an initial trial in 2023, with a full rollout to the public in 2024.