Canadian auto parts supplier Magna International Inc said Monday it will partner with Michigan startup May Mobility on self-driving shuttles.
Calling the collaboration an “industry-first,” Magna will retrofit May Mobility’s low-speed self-driving micro transit electric vehicles from the chassis up. The initial fleet of vehicles will debut on June 26, 2018 with May Mobility’s first commercial deployment which will take place in Detroit, Michigan, according to Magna.
“Magna is pleased to work with a company like May Mobility to help support new mobility in city centers,” said Swamy Kotagiri, Magna Chief Technology Officer. “This project demonstrates our complete vehicle and technical expertise which supports both existing automakers and new companies entering the automotive space.”
Magna will work on the vehicles in its Troy, Michigan-based custom build center, with May Mobility engineers collaborating on the development from its Ann Arbor headquarters. The company stated.
Starting with existing stock vehicles, the new partnership will create a number of street-ready self-driving electric shuttles designed by May Mobility and assembled by Magna that can scale in volume to hundreds, and eventually thousands of shuttles as market demands increase.
“Magna shares our high technical standards and excitement about servicing the growing demand for self-driving vehicles to meet today’s transportation needs, while also laying the path for the future,” said Steve Vozar, founder and CTO for May Mobility. “This deal demonstrates our commitment to scale and accelerate operations with a partner who understands quality and reliability in the build process, and who can match the exacting process that makes us a trusted community partner.”
