Drive.ai expands its self-driving cars pilot to Arlington, Texas with federal and city funding
Hot on the heels of deployment in
Frisco, Texas, Drive.ai today
announced that it’ll begin piloting a fleet of self-driving cars in Arlington, Texas, later this year. On Tuesday evening, the City of Arlington signed a one-year contract with the autonomous tech startup.
“Drive.ai looks forward to the opportunity to bring our innovative self-driving technology to the City of Arlington. This forward-thinking, bustling city has unique transportation needs, and we plan to provide a last-mile transit solution within a vibrant entertainment district,” Conway Chen, vice president of business strategy at Drive.ai, said in a statement. “Together with the city, we aim to reshape the way people experience transportation in Arlington, Texas.”
Service will kick off on October 19. As in Frisco, passengers will hail Drive.ai’s self-driving cars — which will travel at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour on public roads with a safety operator — with a smartphone app. And they’ll be picked up and dropped off within predefined, geofenced locations — in this case, Arlington’s entertainment district, which includes the Cowboys stadium, Texas Rangers park, and “other venues and locations.”
The initial pilot will include three of Drive.ai’s self-driving vans initially, with the potential to expand to five vehicles at a later date. Drive.ai said it will be funded in part by the city and a $343,000 federal grant.