The EasyMile EZ10 is a battery-powered autonomouselectric bus designed and marketed by EasyMile. It seats up to six people and four more passengers may ride standing, or it can accommodate a wheelchair, with the aim of helping to bridge the first mile/last mile of a trip. EZ10 has been deployed in more than 30 cities and 16 countries.
History
Founded in June 2014, EasyMile SAS develops and markets autonomous vehicles. It was formally a joint venture formed by Ligier, and Robosoft Technology PTE Ltd. EZ10 was developed with the help ofCityMobil2 project co-funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development. In January 2017 it was announced that Alstom had invested €14 million in Easymile and the two companies had signed a commercial partnership agreement. In July 2017, Continental also announced an investment in EasyMile. In July 2019, an EasyMile passenger in Utah required medical attention after falling from a seat due to a sudden stop, prompting the company to put up warning signs and reduce the vehicles' maximum speed. In February 2020, a Smart Columbus passenger fell from a seat when an EasyMile vehicle executed an emergency stop from. The second incident prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to suspend EasyMile passenger services nationwide while the incident was investigated.
Deployments
As of end of 2015, the Gelderland county in the Netherlands, plans to put it to use on a 7 km long route between Ede-Wageningen station and the campus of Wageningen University and Research Center. In September 2016, a pilot consisting of a short public transport route served by two EZ10 vehicles started in the village of Appelscha. In December 2016, the EZ10 began use in the first autonomous vehicle passenger shuttle route in North America, looping through Bishop Ranch Office Park in San Ramon, California, operated by First Transit. In 2017, EZ10 was introduced on the grounds of National Taiwan University in Taipei, and in Tallinn, Estonia. In conjunction with Estonia's presidency of the EU Council, the minibus was presented in Tallinn on 14 July 2017 by EasyMile, and the tech companies in Estonia that co-financed the month-and-a-half-long project to bring the shuttle bus to the country. The two buses serve one line officially since 29 July, including a stretch of tram line under reconstruction, and run in the city until the end of August. The line in Tallinn is the first one, where EZ10 buses connect and interact with live traffic.
