ZF and autonomous mobility operator Beep are joining forces to put a new shuttle into service in the United States. The companies aim to deliver “several thousand shuttles” over the coming years, though they have not said where the first vehicles will run.
A shuttle designed for mixed traffic
ZF’s next-generation shuttle is designed for urban environments and mixed traffic. It is being developed with autonomous vehicle software company Oxbotica and uses Level 4 autonomy, which means it can drive itself in most situations within its operational design domain without a person needing to take over.
That marks a change from ZF’s previous shuttle model, which operates only in designated lanes. Those vehicles are deployed through ZF subsidiary 2getthere in Rotterdam and Masdar City. ZF says they have logged 62 million autonomously driven kilometers in real traffic and carried more than 14 million passengers.
The new shuttle is planned to carry 22 passengers, with 15 seats. It will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and include an automatic ramp and wheelchair restraints. ZF says the vehicle will initially reach a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour, with development planned to raise that to 50 miles per hour.
Electric range and connected systems
Customers will be able to choose a battery capacity between 50 and 100 kWh. ZF says the shuttle can travel up to 80 miles in pure electric mode. These specifications give communities options for matching the vehicle to the routes and service needs they choose.
The shuttle will also use ZF ProConnect, a connectivity platform that communicates with surrounding infrastructure and the cloud, alongside the ZF ProAI supercomputer. Together, the platforms support ZF’s virtual driver, the company’s autonomous driving software stack.
ProAI combines computing systems that would otherwise be handled by separate electronic control units. Consolidating those functions into one unit can reduce the space needed for hardware and ease supply constraints, according to the source. ZF’s latest version can deliver up to 1,500 TOPS of computing power, a 50% increase over its previous version.
ZF says more than 13 million ProAI units have already been ordered, with volume supply scheduled to start in 2024. The company also described the system as useful for advanced driver assistance, infotainment and chassis functions.
Where the service could operate
The companies have not named the first deployment locations. Beep said it is evaluating possible sites. ZF executive vice president Torsten Gollewski told TechCrunch that Beep had been commissioned with concrete routes and that the companies were working out the operational scenario.
ZF says the shuttle can operate in dedicated lanes or mixed traffic, depending on the route and the solution that best suits a customer. Gollewski also described the possibility of linking rural communities with nearby larger cities.
Beep already runs services on specific routes within closed campuses. In Lake Nona, Florida, its shuttle service operates within a 17-square-mile development connecting residential, commercial, retail, recreational and medical services. The company has also partnered with Peachtree Corners, Georgia, to test shuttles on a dedicated path along a main road in a 500-acre technology park.
Service plans and production timeline
ZF’s next-generation shuttle is expected to enter the market starting in 2025, with production ramping up in mid-2026. ZF and Beep describe the partnership as covering more than the vehicle itself: ZF says it can provide fleet management, maintenance, repair and training, along with servicing through its workshop network.
ZF has 20,000 workshop partners globally and 3,000 in North America. The company says this support is intended to help keep shuttles operating over their service life. For Beep, the partnership brings a vehicle and service network to its existing mobility operations, while the eventual routes and operating plans are still being worked out.