Though Ford recently chose to shift its focus away from Level 4 and 5 autonomous driving technology and back toward Level 2 and 3, efforts to achieve full-blown autonomy haven’t exactly ended. Rather, there are quite a few companies out there that continue to develop full self-driving technology using a host of different models – including quite a few from The Blue Oval’s stable. The latest is a company called Oxa, which just revealed that it has created a pair of autonomous Ford E-Transit models – a van and a minibus, in fact.
These autonomous Ford E-Transit models are now driving on both U.S. and UK roads and are utilizing Oxa Driver software, which is designed to offer customers a cost-effective way to deliver goods and passengers. These E-Transits are the very first mass-production vehicles converted to autonomous models using Oxa’s Reference Autonomy Designs (RADs), which allow for the rapid integration of autonomy on host vehicles. Oxa handles the entire conversion process, from initial design to prototyping and validation before the E-Transits are sold to commercial entities.
As such, Oxa notes that its autonomous Ford E-Transit will be ready to seamlessly integrate into commercial fleets and be used for all sorts of applications, as it can be configured for logistics purposes in van form, or as a way to transport passengers in minibus guise with up to 10 seats. These vehicles are fitted with a host of equipment in a compact package, including cameras, lidar, and radar, and can be operated in mixed traffic at speeds of up to 35 miles-per-hour – though manual controls are still present in the event that companies want to utilize them in a more traditional manner. Both Ford E-Transit models are available to purchase now.
Of course, this isn’t the first pair of autonomous Ford vehicles to hit the road, either. As Ford Authority reported back in August, an autonomous Ford E-Transit shuttle service is already operating in the Detroit area, and Wayve just launched a fleet of self-driving Ford Mustang Mach-E crossovers in California, too.
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