Photo: Toyota
The future of (not) driving is genuinely just around the corner. The Toyota Mobility Foundation, in partnership with Energy Systems Network, the Indiana Development Corporation, and May Mobility, has launched an autonomous vehicle shuttle service in Indianapolis.
The service is free and kicked off on June 1. It serves downtown Indianapolis and the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis community using five Lexus RX 450h SUVs and a single wheelchair-accessible Polaris GEM shuttle. Toyota says the shuttles will run on Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. until Nov. 19, 2021.
Getting Around: Is now a good time to buy a new car?
The Japanese automaker previous used a Lexus LS 600h L to develop self-driving technologies dubbed “Guardian” and “Chauffeur,” but these will not be used by the Indianapolis-bound vehicles. Instead, they’ll use May Mobility’s autonomous technology. The company was co-founded in 2017 by Edwin Olson, who was previously involved in both Toyota and Ford’s driverless car programs.
The shuttle service, called “Together in Motion Indiana,” includes nine designated stops, about which you can get more information using scannable QR codes. The shuttle connects the Vermont Station with various areas west of downtown Indianapolis, and circles the IU Health University Hospital and Riley Hospital for Children.
Heatwave Alert: How to prep your car for a hot summer
“To ensure riders’ health and safety, masks are currently required for all passengers and fleet attendants,” Toyota said. “Shuttles will carry only one household per ride, and all shuttles are equipped with partitions and UVC disinfectant lights that will clean the shuttle interior between rides.”
Before opening the service, May Mobility provided Indy 500 attendees free 10-minute rides along a demonstration route, again using the Lexus RX 450h. When the service ends in November, May Mobility will roll out the next phase of its initiative with a new shuttle route in Fishers, Indiana.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.
