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Title: May Mobility Expands Its Reach to Challenge Robotaxi Leader Waymo

In an ambitious move, micro autonomous transit firm May Mobility expands its horizons, aiming to challenge the dominance of U.S. market leader, Waymo.

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Title: May Mobility Expands Its Reach to Challenge Robotaxi Leader Waymo

May Mobility, a micro autonomous transit company, is aiming to expand its reach in the U.S. market, challenging the market leader Waymo, a division of Google's parent company Alphabet Inc. To broaden its capabilities, the company has partnered with Italian manufacturer Tecnobus to incorporate autonomous, electric, high-capacity minibuses into its fleet. These new vehicles, seating up to 30 passengers and accommodating multiple wheelchairs, will complement May Mobility's current fleet.

Edwin Olson, the co-founder and CEO of May Mobility, discussed the benefits of the Tecnobus collaboration. The electric minibuses have rapid battery-changing capabilities, addressing the asset utilization issue often associated with EVs. Olson noted that the collaboration would merge Tecnobus' electric mobility expertise with May Mobility's cutting-edge autonomy to create a transformative transit solution.

May Mobility, hailing from the vibrant city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the place where innovation meets mobility.

May Mobility, established in 2017, has been operating driverless transit fleets in the U.S. and Japan, with safety drivers on board to intervene when needed. The company has conducted 400,000 autonomy-enabled rides across 18 deployments globally. After launching service in Sun City, Arizona, and Ann Arbor, both with no safety incidents, May Mobility plans to implement Tecnobus service in 2026.

In an unprecedented move, the driver's seat is now devoid of safety drivers.

Olson expressed optimism about May Mobility's potential to strengthen its position in the market with General Motors Co. pulling financial backing for its money-losing Cruise automation unit. Olson viewed this scenario as an opportunity to minimize competition in the autonomous transit business in the U.S.

Improving operations and expanding the fleet are crucial components in cutting down costs.

May Mobility's patented Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology is a key factor in its approach to safety. MPDM evaluates traffic and operational situations in microseconds, weighing multiple policies and selecting the safest option. MPDM is also vehicle-agnostic, allowing for collaboration between May Mobility and vehicle manufacturers.

Consumers frequently voice safety concerns as their primary obstacle.

The cost efficiency of shared autonomous mobility vehicles is a subject of interest and study by McKinsey & Company. According to their research, shared autonomous transit could become less expensive or more convenient than conventional urban transportation options to attract riders, but the price must be reasonable for businesses to profit. After analyzing various factors, the study found that operating costs for shared autonomous mobility vehicles could potentially reduce from $8.20 per vehicle mile traveled (VMT) to just $1.30 by 2035, given large-scale operations.

McKinsey's research also examined safety concerns in shared, autonomous transit vehicles. As the use of these vehicles expands, concerns about safety have gradually decreased, despite overall concerns remaining prominent. The study cited a consumer survey indicating that 53% of respondents cited safety concerns as a major obstacle to widespread autonomous vehicle adoption in 2024, which was a decrease from the 56% reported in the 2022 survey.

May Mobility's safety record has been exemplary, with overall incident-free performance in Sun City and Ann Arbor, even in deployments without backup drivers. Olson is confident that May Mobility can maintain its safety record while reducing costs to achieve the goal of competing with personal car ownership.

The overall goal for May Mobility is to convert today's car owners into tomorrow's public transit users, ultimately reducing congestion and the use of parking spaces. By offering efficient, cost-effective, and safe shared autonomous transportation, May Mobility aims to solve the problem of excess personal vehicle ownership in cities.

May Mobility envisions deploying its autonomous minibuses, in collaboration with Tecnobus, as early as 2026, with the aim to challenge the dominance of robotaxis like Waymo's in major cities by 2025.

The advancements in May Mobility's technology, such as its patented Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM), aim to make shared autonomous mobility vehicles more cost-effective and safer than traditional transportation options, appealing to consumers and potentially reducing personal car ownership by 2035.

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