2Getthere

A fleet of 24 autonomous pods are coming to public roads in the island nation of Singapore before 2016 is out. It's thanks to a joint venture between Netherlands-based pod producer 2Getthere and Singaporean transport operator SMRT, the Telegraph reports.

The pods run entirely on electricity and run completely autonomously. Using "artificial landmarks" for navigation, the fleet will be able to carry "up to 8,000 passengers per hour in any direction," 2Getthere's website explains.

"The [pods] system basically operates as a horizontal elevator," the company said. "The vehicles will stop at every station selected as a destination and where transport has been requested."