Self-driving company Aurora has revealed the Toyota Sienna-based vehicle it intends to use on ride-hailing networks in 2024. According to the US company, the vehicle represents a significant milestone on its path to commercializing vehicles designed specifically for ride-hailing. When Aurora announced its long-term strategic collaboration with Toyota earlier this year, the companies set out to develop a self-driving car for autonomous ride-hailing.
Building on the progress made by Toyota and Uber ATG (which Aurora acquired at the end of 2020) and the integration established through Aurora’s Driver Development Program, progress has apparently been faster than the companies anticipated.
As a result, Aurora says it is now integrating its Driver system with Toyota’s first S-AM vehicles, straight from the production line. It is set to expand testing of the prototypes, refining them through pilots, while validating them in accordance with its Safety Case Framework and Toyota’s own safety standards, ahead of the ride-hailing network rollout.
Over the next six months, Aurora will be running its initial development fleet in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), Dallas (Texas) and the Bay Area, with further locations set to be added in the near future.