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On August 13, a free, autonomous, all-electric shuttle service launched in Detroit. The State of Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, the City of Detroit, Bedrock, Michigan Central, and Perrone Robotics collaborated to develop the shuttle system, which uses Ford E-Transit vans. (Although there is a vague, anti-EV story online claiming all EV sales have declined, Ford published some information in July that E-Transits were selling well.)

Perhaps this fact is not surprising considering that electric vans can be great for fleets that travel shorter distances on a daily basis. In fact, for the recently introduced free autonomous shuttle service in Detroitthey could be nearly perfect. Electric vehicles are much more energy efficient than vehicles that use fossil fuels, and in the Detroit Shuttle use case, there will be multiple passengers per vehicle. Of course, an E-Transit shuttle has no tailpipe and does not directly produce toxic air pollution, so that is also a win for Detroit’s air quality.

Kevin Mull, Senior Urban Strategy & Innovation Director at Bedrock, answered some questions about the new shuttle for CleanTechnica.

Who is the free shuttle service for?

Connect is made possible through funding from operating partners Bedrock, Michigan Central, City of Detroit, MDOT and the Michigan State Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME). The service is completely free and available to all of Detroit and its visitors.

Do drivers reserve a seat or is it first come, first served?

Ridership will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, but passengers can track shuttles in real time by visiting theconnect.liftango.com.

How long does it take to cover the entire 17.4 kilometer route?

The journey time for the entire route is approximately 45-55 minutes.

How many electric shuttles are in the fleet and how many passengers can they carry?

The original plan was to launch the fleet with 4 shuttles, however the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) recently provided $1.67 million in additional funding, allowing us to add a fifth shuttle and extend service for another year. Each shuttle varies in size, four have a 6-seat capacity and one has a 9-seat capacity and is wheelchair accessible.

Where are the shuttles billed?

The shuttles will be stored and charged at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab in the Bedrock Assembly Garage. Storing and charging the shuttles at the DSPL will allow us to utilize new fast-charging lab facilities, including the IONDynamics FlashBot fast-charging system.

More information about IONDynamics: https://www.instagram.com/bedrockdetroit/reel/C9fcQ0LR68P/?hl=en

During the pilot, a safety operator will be at the controls of each shuttle. But will each shuttle be fully controlled by the technology?

Correct. During the initial deployment phase, each shuttle will be driven by a safety driver. In the next few months, we plan to fully roll out the autonomous system so that each shuttle can drive itself completely – with a safety driver present.

Why electric shuttles instead of petrol or diesel shuttles?

We launched The Connect specifically to demonstrate a real-world use case for mobility innovation in Detroit. The goal of this pilot is to set a new standard for sustainable, efficient, and community-focused mobility options.

How long does it take to fully charge an electric shuttle?

Charging times vary depending on which EV charging system is being used. There is the option of DC fast chargers that allow charging during midday or Level 2 chargers for charging overnight.