Valley company has ambitious plans for its self-driving shuttles
Valley company has ambitious plans for its self-driving shuttles
It almost sounds too good to be true: an electric, self-driving shuttle made of 3D parts made in the Valley. However, it is a reality, and the company has a plan to put more of its Olli shuttles on the road. FOX 10's Bailey Miller reports.
CHANDLER, Ariz. - It's being called the future of transportation: an electric, self-driving shuttle made of 3D parts made in the Valley.
Currently, there are only about 20 of them in the world, but that will be changing.
Olli is created at Local Motors Factory in Chandler. It is almost too good to be true, but the owners of the company believe this is where transportation is heading.
"It is a smoother ride, a quieter ride. It has more space," said
Vikrant Aggarwal, President of Local Motors.
Olli can fit up to 12 people inside, and can travel 25 mph (~40.23km/h). The first Olli was created in 2017, with a goal in mind to create a philosophy of "travel for all".
"I believe in the future mobility is going to shift to people not solely owning cars," said Aggarwal.
Parts of it are made from a 3D printer. The technology is eco-friendly, and allows the parts to be recycled.
After many hours of work by engineers, Olli then moves out to the next step for training: the test track on Local Motors grounds.
The car is programmed with a specific route and follows it. If an obstacle is in the way of the route, the Olli will stop automatically until the coast is clear.
A safety attendant is required inside by law, just in case of an emergency.
Currently, there are 20 Ollis in the United States, Europe and Asia. They are used on military bases, hospital grounds and universities to shuttle people back and forth.
Next up, Local Motors say they will be implementing their creation on public roads in Europe.
(Courtesy: Local Motors)
"I think this is the future," said Aggarwal. "This is where governments are moving and folks are moving. It is going to alleviate a lot of pain in the infrastructure."
Local Motors is now creating an Olli 2.0, which is bigger, with more of its parts comprised of 3D parts, and can travel farther on a charge.
Every Tuesday, Local Motors has tours for anyone interested in learning more about the product.
Local Motors