Back in 2015, EasyMile launched the EZ10 self-driving people mover, putting the shuttle to work in a Californian business park and a park in Singapore. Now the company has announced an updated version, which focuses on passenger safety and comfort.
EasyMile says that it has already deployed 230 driverless projects that have transported over 380,000 passengers more than 600,000 km (over 370,000 mi) since launch. And for the last eight months or so, the company has been doing so without a human attendant aboard – though a remote operator does keep an eye on things from afar.
With the updated EZ10, which retains a similar box-on-wheels design, the company is eyeing international expansion. The all-new first and last mile electric shuttle debuted today at the Global Public Transport Summit 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden, and is being pitched at transit operators looking to ferry people around large private sites such as factories and airports.
The EZ10 can now carry up to 15 people per trip, with passengers treated to cushioned seating and safety belts. EasyMile has fitted the latest generation with an automated ramp to allow disabled passengers to get aboard, and installed wheelchair anchor points inside that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The shuttle has also received an upgrade to the sensor suite, for improved accuracy even during less-than-ideal weather conditions, though no further details on the technology have been revealed.
EasyMile says that its fully autonomous services will be rolled out to new campuses during 2019, followed by mixed traffic deployments next year.