German company ZF is working with mobility provider Beep to bring autonomous level-four shuttles to US cities.

ZF unveiled its latest shuttle for autonomous driving in urban environments and mixed traffic at this month’s CES in Las Vegas. It complements the established model, which was primarily designed for use in segregated lanes.

For the new shuttle generation ZF has announced a partnership with US mobility services provider Beep. The agreement aims to deliver several thousand shuttles to users over the coming years, combining ZF’s autonomous technology with Beep’s mobility services and service management platform into single-source autonomous mobility.

“To reduce traffic-related emissions in metropolitan areas, a reduction in motorised individual transport and a simultaneous expansion of more sustainable, efficient, comfortable and affordable mobility options are required,” said Torsten Gollewski, executive vice president at ZF.

With its ATS autonomous transport systems, ZF is driving a mobility transformation, while offering a way round the driver shortage in local public transport with the autonomous level-four shuttle. The new shuttle complements the established autonomous shuttle model letting the company offer two shuttle types, one primarily for use in segregated lanes and the new model, which will be used mainly in urban environments and mixed traffic.

The shuttle is equipped with sensor technology consisting of lidar, radar, camera and audio systems that provide precise environmental detection. This is complemented by other technologies such as ZF’s ProConnect connectivity platform, which enables communication with the infrastructure and the cloud, as well as the ZF ProAI supercomputer, where data converge.

The virtual driver – ZF’s AD software – processes these expansive volumes of information, derives safe driving strategies using artificial intelligence, and passes them on as input to the on-board actuators. The virtual driver replaces the human driver and thus makes the steering wheel and brake pedal superfluous.

The system is designed with redundancies so the full functionality and operability of the vehicles are reliable. Thus, ProConnect and ProAI units in the shuttle work together to operate the virtual driver. All ZF components and systems are automotive-grade certified, meeting the safety and quality requirements of the automotive industry and applicable cyber-security standards.

With selectable battery capacities between 50 and 100kWh, the shuttle can cover up to 128km in pure electric mode at a maximum speed of initially 40kmph and in the future 80kmph. The shuttle has a passenger capacity of 22 with up to 15 seated.

The vehicle conforms to requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and includes an automatic ramp and wheelchair restraints. The interior is customisable in layout and trim level. With front- and rear-wheel steer and kneeling functions, distance to the sidewalk is reduced when approaching a stop. This enables the shuttle to dock precisely and provide barrier-free boarding and disembarking.

Autonomous, emission-free ZF shuttles can operate on defined routes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Public transport operators can provide passengers with a mobility service even when demand is low and expand routes to meet increased demand despite a shortage of drivers.

With the US mobility provider Beep, ZF has already established a partnership for its shuttle generation: ZF and Beep have signed an agreement to bring the shuttle to markets in the USA.

Headquartered in Lake Nona, Florida, Beep delivers shared mobility services. Specialising in planning, deploying and managing autonomous shuttles for private and public communities, Beep connects people, places and services in first-kilometre, last-kilometre mobility networks across the USA. The company has been testing autonomous shuttles for more than three years, with more than 100,000 road hours, and operates the largest and longest-tenured private-sector autonomous mobility network in the USA in Lake Nona, Florida.

“We are excited to partner with ZF to bring their next shuttle generation to market in the USA,” said Joe Moye, CEO for Beep. “ZF’s full suite of shuttle services, its US partner network and its automotive-grade vehicle complement our turnkey mobility networks and autonomous services technology platform. This shuttle will allow us to continue to pursue our vision of extending mobility equity and reducing carbon emissions, expanding our use cases while meeting industrial requirements for vehicle service life, performance and safety.”

Beep is evaluating a number of possible sites and routes with new and existing customers.

“Our offer of clean, efficient and affordable mobility is convincing, and has found a partner and major customer in Beep,” said Gollewski.

ZF sees itself not only as a shuttle supplier, but also as a partner for the entire life cycle of its shuttles. Therefore, the partnership also includes service maintenance to ensure smooth operation to help increase uptime of the shuttles.

“For service, customers can rely on ZF’s global network with 20,000 workshop partners worldwide,” said Marco Neubold, vice president at ZF. “In North America alone, we have 3000 workshop partners, so support of our customers is always a priority.”

Additionally, ZF’s mobility subsidiary provides an ecosystem for autonomous transport systems, starting with individual consulting, planning of driving routes and the shuttles used to consulting on the required infrastructure, as well as charging and fleet management. These services can be integrated into existing systems and help enhance operational efficiency.

“This is true to our strategy of bringing autonomous driving at level four into operational use first with commercial vehicles and shuttles,” said Gollewski. “Autonomous transport systems are no longer a vision. We are starting with the implementation.”