May Mobility, a leader in autonomous vehicle technology and shuttle operations, is testing a Toyota Sienna equipped with the next generation of its autonomous driving kit and will work with Toyota to add the vehicle to public shuttle fleets in 2022.
The automated Sienna features Toyota’s vehicle control interface, which allows seamless technology integration and robust operation of key vehicle control systems, such as steering, brakes, and acceleration.
“As we’ve seen throughout the industry, companies developing self-driving vehicles need strong OEM partners to be successful,” said Edwin Olson, co-founder and CEO of May Mobility. “With Toyota, May Mobility can deploy our unique self-driving technology on the best vehicles in the world.”
The Sienna technology integration is a major milestone in May Mobility’s cooperative relationship with Toyota, confirms Olson. From the initial investment in May Mobility to the Series B fundraising in 2019, the relationship has expanded to include a shuttle fleet in Hiroshima, Japan. May Mobility is also providing autonomous shuttle services in Indianapolis, Indiana, as part of a Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) initiative about to come into service.
Keiji Yamamoto, Operating Officer of Toyota and President of Connected Company said, “We are delighted that Toyota’s “Autono-MaaS”(autonomous-mobility as a service) vehicle based on the Sienna will be utilised for May Mobility’s public road testing. Toyota continues to collaborate with automated mobility service providers through these vehicles and is implementing Autono-MaaS swiftly, aiming to realise a society where all people have the freedom of movement.”
Modifications to the Sienna include the addition of LIDAR, RADAR, and camera sensors, along with the compute and control modules that make up May Mobility’s autonomous driving kit. The May Mobility Toyota Sienna shuttle is currently being tested on public roads in Ann Arbor. Additional shuttles are under development and will be ready for use in public fleets in 2022.
