Ford has been heavily involved in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit over the past few years, investing $1 billion in the restoration and transformation of Michigan Central Station. Since that site opened up back in June, the building already has its first tenant and has welcomed over 100,000 visitors, all before the first Ford employees move in. Now, those looking to get around Corktown and parts of downtown Detroit can do so via an autonomous Ford E-Transit shuttle service, too.
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The City of Detroit, Bedrock, Michigan Central, and the State of Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) have teamed up with Perrone Robotics, Inc. to create this new autonomous Ford E-Transit shuttle service pilot, which is called “The Connect.” The pilot aims to determine just how A/V transit service can function in Detroit, as well as refine such offerings for the future, all while helping to take the next step toward a zero-emission public transportation system in the same city.
At first, these Ford E-Transit shuttles will be operated manually, at least, until a final route has been established and operational kinks are worked out. By the end of the year, The Connect aims to be fully autonomous, though for now, a safety operator will remain behind the wheel at all times. The pilot shuttle service will loop from Corktown through downtown Detroit to the East Jefferson Riverfront, and is free to the public.
The Connect pilot program will utilize four Ford E-Transits shuttles operating Monday through Friday, from 7am-7pm daily. The shuttles will stop every 10-15 minutes during peak hours, and riders can track the vehicles in real-time via theconnect.liftango.com, and get estimated times for arrival using the Liftango web platform.
We’ll have more on The Connect soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Transit news and continuous Ford news coverage.
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