Self-driving Ford Transits hit UK roads

These aren't just prototypes.

Photo by: Oxa

Angel Sergeev

By: Angel Sergeev

Oct 30, 2024 at 4:36am ET

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Oxa's autonomous Ford E-Transit vans and minibuses are now officially cruising the streets in the United Kingdom and the United States. The beloved Transit, already known as Europe’s top-selling electric van, is ditching its human driver and going digital.

These aren't just fancy prototypes. The E-Transits, fresh out of the factory, have been souped up with Oxa's Reference Autonomy Designs, or RADs, a term we assume is cooler than it sounds. RADs essentially allow for quick and easy “auto-pilot” makeovers of regular vehicles, equipping them with all the high-tech gadgets needed to go driver-free. And if you're worried about space, fear not – these setups somehow don’t hog much interior room.

Gallery: Oxa's autonomous Ford Transit

Source: Oxa

The E-Transits are decked out with an impressive array of sensors – think cameras, radar, and lidar – to monitor the road from every angle. Thanks to these, Oxa’s vans can navigate mixed traffic at up to 35 mph, picking up on everything around them, from potholes to pedestrians. For those who like to keep control, the vans can switch back to manual mode if needed, allowing a human to step in. Plus, there’s both a delivery van version and a 10-seater minibus variant, ready to handle anything from parcels to passengers.

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And the high-tech wizardry doesn’t stop there. Before these futuristic rides even touch public roads, Oxa has put them through a bunch of tests in simulated environments, controlled real-world tests, and virtual training. Using Spatial AI tech and digital twins – essentially virtual copies of the vehicles – Oxa can fine-tune their performance without anyone having to.

For anyone in logistics or fleet management, this is big news. Oxa’s autonomous Ford E-Transits are available now, ready to join commercial fleets on both sides of the pond. So the next time a driverless van pulls up, don't be alarmed – it’s just the future of transportation, one delivery at a time.