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Three fully electric driverless shuttles will begin operating in Riverside in January, city officials announced Tuesday.
The zero-emission autonomous shuttle will be operated and maintained by the Riverside Transit Authority as part of a two-year pilot to complement existing bus service.
Once the vehicle is on the road, RTA will become the first public transit agency in the U.S. to operate a fully electric, self-driving shuttle.
This undated promotional image from the company shows the Ohmio self-driving shuttle.
The shuttle seats eight people and can reach speeds of 31 miles per hour, but depending on traffic and the route you choose, you’ll likely be operating closer to 15 miles per hour. The city is considering deploying them near UC Riverside, downtown and the local airport, among other options.
Officials said the shuttle would “move people into the city at no cost to the public, emit no exhaust gases, and improve air quality by removing cars from the roads.”
The plan has been in the works for more than a year, with Riverside purchasing the vehicles last November and agreeing to work with the manufacturer to move its headquarters to the Inland Empire.
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The electric shuttle vehicles are being manufactured by New Zealand company Ormio, which established a new headquarters at a facility near Riverside Airport as part of the purchase agreement.
The move also means Ohmio will designate Riverside as its official sales location, meaning each vehicle it sells will generate local sales tax revenue. With a price tag of more than $300,000, each sale nets the city of Riverside more than $26,000.
This lucrative arrangement also allowed the city to procure vehicles at a discounted price.
Initially, Riverside spent $2.5 million to purchase three vehicles and assist Ormio in relocating to Riverside.
With a combined $1.5 million contribution from the RTA and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the price tag is currently estimated to be about $1 million, which city officials say will be repaid in the future through sales tax within about four years. will be recovered from sales.
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Officials last year estimated the Kiwi EV company would build between 550 and 750 vehicles in Riverside in its first five years. Officials said at the time that the shuttle would be the first “end-to-end” all-electric self-driving vehicle built entirely in the United States.
Riverside Mayor Patricia Locke Dawson described O’Maio as an industry innovator who is “at the forefront of this exciting transportation technology” and said RTA was the perfect local partner to operate the first-of-its-kind service. He said that.
This undated promotional image from the company shows the Ohmio self-driving shuttle at JFK Airport.
“The agreement with RTA means a trusted local partner will have these vehicles on the road, helping RTA close the transit usage gap and contributing financially to the success of the initiative.” said Rock Dawson.
Omio says the move to Riverside will create approximately seven new jobs, including engineers and technicians, in the first year, and up to 25 jobs by the third year. City officials said they believe each additional job in “advanced manufacturing” will lead to additional jobs in other industries in the future.
“This agreement is a win for everyone,” said Riverside Mayor Pro Tem Jim Perry. “RTA introduces a new tool to its transportation toolbox, Omaio will be able to showcase its vehicles across the continental United States, and the City will continue to be a leader in innovation while covering a significant portion of the initial costs.”
City leaders and RTA hope to have the shuttle operational by next January. However, the chosen route must receive approval from the federal government before service can begin.
This summer, two self-driving OhmyoShuttles were deployed to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport as part of a pilot program.
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