Oxa has announced that Ford’s E-Transit vans and minibuses now run on its Oxa Driver software. The E-Transit, Ford’s first all-electric van, is already Europe’s top-selling large electric vehicle, making waves in both goods delivery and passenger services worldwide.
This autonomous vehicle seamlessly integrates into existing fleets, offering a versatile platform for various applications. It comes equipped with top-notch sensors: cameras, lidar, and radar. Thanks to full 360-degree perception and long-range detection, it can operate autonomously at speeds up to 35 mph in mixed traffic. Importantly, manual controls remain intact, allowing for flexibility even in non-autonomous mode.
These E-Transits are outfitted with the Oxa Driver software, enabling full autonomy while a trained safety operator oversees the technology, complying with UK regulations. They’re also the first mass-produced vehicles to utilize Oxa’s Reference Autonomy Designs (RADs). These RADs streamline the integration of autonomy into vehicles equipped with Oxa’s software, sensors, and drive-by-wire systems.
Oxa emphasizes that successful commercial AV production hinges on marrying manufacturing know-how with autonomy expertise, all while maintaining a flexible approach. Their RADs are defined, prototyped, and validated by Oxa before vehicle manufacturers and approved upfitters mass-produce autonomous vehicles, supporting scalable deployment.
To ensure Ford E-Transits can be safely and efficiently deployed, Oxa rigorously tests in controlled environments, real-world scenarios, and through virtual testing using spatial AI technology. They leverage generative AI, digital twins, and simulations to train and evaluate the system based on customer needs.
This partnership with Ford follows Oxa’s recent announcement of its third commercial deployment of Oxa Driver in the US, collaborating with autonomous mobility company Beep to boost its presence in the industrial logistics sector.