Self-driving vehicle selected for Merrifield shuttle
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| The EZ10 self-driving shuttle |
Dominion Energy selected the French company, EasyMile, for the autonomous electric shuttle pilot project planned for the Merrifield area, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority announced.
EasyMile’s EZ10 self-driving vehicle will shuttle passengers between the Dunn Loring Metro station and the Mosaic District.
The EZ10 model has a track record of more than 200 deployments on public and private roads in more than 25 countries on four continents.
The Mosaic District shuttle will hold up to 12 passengers. It will have a full set of sensors for safety and a built-in, automated electric wheelchair access ramp.
A starting date for the shuttle hasn’t been determined but it is expected to begin operating some time in 2020. The route and stops haven’t been finalized yet, either.
Shuttle rides will be free, and riders won’t need tickets.
The county secured a $250,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation for shuttle pilot, making it the first state-funded autonomous public transportation demonstration project in Virginia.
Fairfax County contributed $50,000 in matching funds, and Dominion Energy is providing the shuttle and related charging infrastructure.
what a stupid project. get a bus, hire drivers, get a human a job
I guess you aren't that keen on what the future is bringing us, eh? Don't worry, new jobs are always created when old ones die away.
Yes, please!
I can see quite easily how self-driving vehicles (if they can actually be made to work properly and reliably) could provide vital autonomy for people with disabilities, but why–oh, WHY–do we have to have them for something like this??
I'm tired of such pointless "convenience technology."
And that is why we live in a dump. No-one including the supervisor wants to advance Mason into 2020. They just want to keep it in the dreadful 1970s!