ANN ARBOR – Autonomous vehicle technology company May Mobility has partnered with global transit technology company Via to deploy AVs across the United States and the world.
Over the next three years, the partnership will launch thousands of AVs for public transit, according to a release.
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“May Mobility and Via share a deep belief in technology’s ability to provide equitable transit solutions,” chief commercial officer for May Mobility Manik Dhar said in a statement. “Our partnership means that we can leverage each other’s strengths to address a larger customer base globally. The communities we serve benefit from our combined depth of autonomy technology experience and fleet deployment solutions.”
The two companies have partnered since 2021 and operate in three cities, offering on-demand, shared and dynamically routed AV services.
Via’s artificial intelligence-based booking and intelligent routing algorithms power the on-demand rides. The trips are available to riders through an app, which pairs riders going in the same direction into one vehicle.
“May Mobility and Via share a belief that autonomous vehicles are most impactful when they are accessible and shared and complement existing public transit infrastructure,” chief revenue officer at Via Dillon Twombly said in a statement.
“We support all riders and respect the diversity of their needs. The next stage of our partnership with May Mobility will enable us to continue to introduce AVs as an equitable, efficient, and sustainable transportation solution for communities around the globe.”
To date, the companies have completed roughly 50,000 AV rides.
They operate in cities with unique needs and environments, including urban, suburban and rural settings. All of May Mobility’s fleets include wheelchair-accessible AVs with ADA-compliant ramping systems. Users are able to permanently toggle their status to ensure they are picked up by a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.