Drive.AI takes its self-driving shuttles to the Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers fans may have the chance to take a self-driving car shuttle the next time they’re in Arlington, Texas, to catch a game.

Silicon Valley-based self-driving car startup Drive.AI told Automotive News Monday it will expand its presence in the Dallas suburb. To start, a fleet of seven autonomous vehicles will shuttle riders between the Cowboys’ stadium, an office complex, the city’s convention center, the Rangers’ ballpark, and the University of Texas at Arlington.  

Drive.AI will end its limited trial program in the Dallas suburb of Frisco in order to have a larger presence in Arlington.

CHECK OUT: Self-driving vans ready to shuttle riders in Dallas suburb this summer (2018)

The goal is to put Drive.AI vehicles in a more demanding environment and the new loops should give its cars far more experience. It should also attract more riders since the autonomous vehicles will run between popular parts of Arlington. Previously, the self-driving cars operated on a single test route that connected an office park to a shopping center.

ALSO SEE: Study: 3 of 4 people are afraid of self-driving cars

The company’s self-driving tech fits inside a Nissan NV200 commercial van, which serves as the vehicle of choice for the company’s ride-hailing service. Even as it expands to Arlington, the cars will still have a human safety driver behind the wheel. The company also hopes to increase the number of people who use the service weekly. Right now, 20 percent of its customers use Drive.AI vehicles more than once per week.

Drive.AI operates differently than some of the larger names, such as Waymo and Cruise Automation, however. While Waymo, for example, screens riders for its service, Drive.AI is open to the general public. Anyone can hail the self-driving vans to ride to a Cowboys game, for instance.

Source: Read Full Article