Toyota has launched an autonomous vehicle shuttle service in Indianapolis in partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and May Mobility, a leader in autonomous vehicle technology and shuttle operations.
The free service began operations on June 1 and serves the downtown Indianapolis and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) communities. It features five Lexus RX 450h SUVs and one wheelchair-accessible Polaris GEM shuttle and will be available through to November 19, 2021.
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There are nine designated stops throughout Indianapolis that the service uses with shuttles arriving in 10 to 15-minute intervals on a rotating loop. Vehicles can only carry one household per ride and masks are required for all passengers. Each shuttle is equipped with partitions and UVC disinfectant lights that will clean the interior between rides.
“Indiana is the ideal location to launch the first Together in Motion initiative because of the strong local partnerships with Energy Systems Network and the local communities,” director of programs at Toyota Mobility Foundation Ryan Klem said in a statement. “They have facilitated May Mobility’s integration into the local transportation offerings, and we look forward to learning about local use and impact so we can transfer and scale this knowledge to other locations.”
“At May Mobility, our mission is to bring safe, accessible and reliable mobility solutions to communities around the world,” added Edwin Olson, co-founder and chief executive of May Mobility. “We’re excited to bring AV technology to Central Indiana through our partnership with the Toyota Mobility Foundation, Energy Systems Network and IndyGo.”
