The city of Houston will receive the first Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Buy America-compliant mid-size autonomous bus in the US.

Phoenix Motorcars and EasyMile will jointly develop the autonomous bus. Known for developing, deploying and servicing all electric drive systems for Zero Emission Commercial Vehicles, Phoenix Motorcars will equip its range of zero emission vehicle with EasyMile's driverless technology.

“We are proud to be selected by the FTA as the OEM zero-emission vehicle provider and look forward to adding the Level 4 Autonomous EZ ZEUS into our product catalog,” says Thomas Allen, sales manager at Phoenix Motorcars.

“As the world moves toward net zero carbon goals and prioritizes clean air quality, the self-driving ZEV is the next step in Phoenix Motorcars' quest to provide future technology today.”

Expected to “revolutionize last-mile transit connectivity,” the self-driving bus will be deployed in real-life traffic conditions, serving several locations including Texas Southern University, the University of Houston, and Houston's Third Ward community connecting to Metro buses and light rail.

According to Phoenix Motorcars and EasyMile, the Class 4 Medium-Duty Zero-Emission Shuttle Bus with Level 4 Autonomy that they are developing will seek to achieve the following:
 

• Introduce autonomy in a variety of bus depot use cases and, ultimately, deploy on public roads;
• Provide invaluable initial feedback in the development of this industry;
• Leverage prior experience in launching EasyMile's driverless technology;
• Provide integration with Phoenix Motorcars' industry-leading and proven Class 4 zero-emission drive system;
• Support existing agency initiatives around improved safety and energy efficiency via innovative technologies; and
• As the inaugural class of AIM incubators, provide industry leadership in sharing project outcomes with the public transportation community.