Not only will the shuttles be made in the city, but the local government is also planning to use them. Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan noted at a recent announcement event that doing so will make the city the first in the country to permanently deploy autonomous vehicles in a public transportation system.
The project is part of a partnership among HOLON, a German AV shuttle company; Beep, an operator of small EV shuttles, based in central Florida; and BENTELER Mobility, an automotive parts provider.
Another key partner in the project is the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), which has long held a vision for growing autonomous technology within its transit operations. Known as the Ultimate Urban Circulator Program (U2C), the project will introduce autonomous vehicle technology and other transportation innovation into Jacksonville's downtown, building on the footprint already occupied by the Skyway. The first phase of that effort is the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, set to go online in June, said Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., CEO of JTA.
“We are planning, with the U2C, to help build a framework — a blueprint, so to speak — for the rest of the nation in terms of greater mobility, using these new technologies, and we are at the tip of the spear,” said Ford at the announcement in Jacksonville.
HOLON plans to build 5,000 of the small, electric autonomous shuttles annually at its new 41-acre manufacturing site in Jacksonville. The vehicle will be capable of traveling at nearly 40 mph, and it will meet federal road safety and Buy America Act requirements, opening the door to more use across the U.S., company officials said.
“It’s our ambition to solidify Jacksonville’s leadership as pioneers in future mobility,” said Gregory Crandell, U.S. general manager at HOLON, adding, the vehicles are “designed to address the pressing challenges of urban traffic, climate change and demographic shift.”
Low-speed electric autonomous shuttles have previously been deployed in numerous pilot and demonstration projects in cities, on campuses and other locations. Their applicability, however, has fallen short of meeting the transportation and transit needs for wider adoption. A recent report by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) found the vehicles still include too many limitations to manage urban traffic settings, and they travel at speeds too slow to satisfy most riders. The shuttles used in the NCDOT pilots were earlier versions of autonomous shuttles, which do not meet federal highway safety standards. Those traveled at about 12 mph.
The shuttles to be deployed by the JTA will include Level 4 autonomy, which means a safety operator will not be required to be on board.
For its part, Jacksonville sees itself as an emerging leader in the development of transportation innovation like autonomous vehicles, opening the door to wider adoption and realistic applications.
“Jacksonville is positioned to be a national, and even international, leader in the technology behind AI-driven traffic. The addition of autonomous vehicle manufacturing is another big step toward that goal,” said Deegan. “Do we stand by while other cities innovate? Or do we take this opportunity to lead the way?”
