Oxa, a UK-based developer of autonomous technology, is currently testing SAE Level 4 electric vans in both the United States and the United Kingdom. This development follows the company’s earlier robotaxi sedan testing, which began in 2020. Oxa’s innovative Reference Autonomy Designs (RADs) allow for autonomous hardware and software to be adapted to a variety of mass-produced vehicles from different manufacturers.
While several companies have created prototypes of driverless vans and shuttle buses, these models have yet to achieve widespread city-wide deployment in the US. Tesla, despite generating attention with its recent robotaxi event and robovan concept, isn’t as far along in autonomous passenger van development as Oxa.
Oxa, formerly known as Oxbotica, has been testing SAE Level 4 vehicles in the UK since 2020. The company is now testing a Ford E-Transit-based autonomous van in both the US and Europe. These vans are the first mass-produced vehicles converted with Oxa’s proprietary RADs. These designs are intended for the rapid integration of autonomous hardware and software into existing production models, with a wide range of vehicles in mind. Furthermore, this hardware and software suite is designed to be integrated by third parties as well.
“RADs are defined, prototyped, and validated by Oxa, before being used by vehicle OEMs and approved upfitters to mass produce AVs, with flexible distribution and licensing models,” Oxa notes.
Oxa’s development spans years of advanced autonomous systems testing in the UK, including the Ford Mondeo-based robotaxis that debuted in October 2020. These E-Transit-based vans will preview an operational ride-pooling service, able to transport multiple passengers. This service could be summoned via a ride-hailing app or perform delivery tasks.
However, the leap from a single-passenger sedan to a minibus is a challenge that even Waymo, a leader in the US robotaxi industry, hasn’t yet fully overcome. Safety monitoring considerations for multi-person passenger vans differ from those of taxis. Regulations permitting driverless, SAE Level 4 passenger cars are also limited. Similarly, driverless cargo delivery remains largely in the trial phase by a number of developers.
The value proposition of these autonomous vans lies in their potential to increase efficiency for ride-hailing companies, carrying more people to various destinations using optimized routing algorithms. This could translate to fewer vehicles needed while maintaining passenger capacity, leading to cost savings for robotaxi fleets.
“Making the Ford E-Transit available for autonomous operations is the next step on our journey to deliver safe, scalable, and sustainable autonomous solutions,” said Gavin Jackson, CEO of Oxa. “This vehicle represents an important milestone in our mission to reshape the future of passenger transportation and logistics.”
While it remains to be seen if autonomous shuttle buses will become a common sight in the US, only a limited number of prototypes can perform the same tasks as robotaxis. Most are still awaiting wide-scale launch.
