To address the “first mile, last mile” challenge that commuters in the San Francisco Bay Area face every day, Local Motors, AAA Northern California and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) will test Local Motors’ Olli autonomous shuttle to see if the vehicle is a possible solution to this problem.

Featuring cognitive response technology and sensors, as well as an obstacle avoidance system, Olli will be tested at GoMentum Station in Contra Costa County, with future plans to deploy the technology near transit stations around Northern California.

“Every city has the same transportation challenges – congestion, pollution and accessibility – and our goal at Local Motors is to provide a simple, safe and effective mobility solution that alleviates some of the pain points for those living in the city,” says Vikrant Aggarwal, president of Local Motors.

“With all new vehicle technology, safety is paramount, therefore we are excited to work with AAA Northern California on rigorous ‘real-world’ testing at the GoMentum Station to ensure our shuttles are ready for public roads.”

Managed and operated by AAA Northern California, GoMentum Station is the nation’s largest closed-course testing facility for connected and automated vehicles, providing a wide range of terrain that features more than 20 miles of paved roadways, close to 50 intersections, and additional amenities such as overcrossings, tunnels, railroad tracks and a mini-city.

GoMentum Station and CCTA are also partners, and are working together to help connect the public sector to new mobility technologies as they’re being developed. Recently, GoMentum Station opened a new Vehicle to Everything (V2X) lab to test connected technologies. Some of the lab’s features include advanced traffic signal equipment such as controllers, Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) and Cellular-V2X devices.

While being tested on the different GoMentum Station tracks, Olli will experience a number of different test scenarios including intersection crossing, interactions with pedestrians, and tunnel driving.

“We are looking forward to learning from the testing that will happen at GoMentum Station, and ultimately being able to offer Contra Costa residents a safe, domestically manufactured, electric, self-driving shuttle as a means of travel to help connect them to transit, medical, and employment centers in Contra Costa,” says  Randy Iwasaki, executive director at CCTA.

Local Motors and AAA Northern California will test Olli for a year before considering piloted deployment options in Contra Costa County.