A new public transportation service has joined Ann Arbor and U-M buses on the streets of Tree Town. A2GO is a fleet of five autonomous, shared, on-demand vehicles that operate in a 2.64-square-mile area connecting Kerrytown, downtown, the State Street corridor, and U-M’s Central and South campuses.
May Mobility, Mcity, and Ann Arbor SPARK launched A2GO in October. It is the eighth shuttle deployment since May Mobility, based in Ann Arbor, began operations. Shuttles also roam the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Arlington, Texas; Hiroshima, Japan; and Indianapolis, Indiana.
Autonomous vehicle operators supervise each of the four hybrid-electric Lexus RX 450h vehicles (with capacity for three passengers) and one Polaris GEM fully electric vehicle (with capacity for one wheelchair passenger). The vehicles are equipped with sensor technologies that create a 360-degree view of the world.
The free service is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and riders access the service via the May Mobility app.
“We are proud to bring our autonomous shuttle service to not just our hometown,” says Edwin Olson, CEO of May Mobility, “but the place where our technology was born.”
