Beep launches fully autonomous public transit system in Florida

Beep autonomous vehicles are currently being tested, with safety drivers, on Jacksonville, Fla. roads. | Source: JTA

Beep Inc. has announced that it will begin operating NAVI. or Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation, a fully autonomous public transit system, in Jacksonville, Fla., on June 30.

Beep will operate and maintain the NAVI service, a customized fleet of 14 autonomous, “Buy America,” and ADA-compliant Ford E-Transit vehicles integrated with Oxa’s automated driving system (ADS). This is Phase 1 of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s (JTA) Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) program.

JTA said these driverless, electric, multi-passenger vehicles will service both public and private communities. Beep and JTA will deploy the vehicles along the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, a 3.5 mi. (5.6 km) route in downtown Jacksonville with 12 stops from the Central Business Core to the Sports and Entertainment District, encouraging downtown revitalization.

With the launch of NAVI, Beep’s technology will facilitate both vehicle deployment and command-center operations from the JTA’s new Autonomous Innovation Center (AIC). JTA and Beep said they hope the NAVI vehicles will increase efficiency and safety, while offering more reliable first- and last-mile services and expanding access to more destinations and riders.

Founded in 2018, Beep said it delivers software and services for next-generation autonomous, shared-mobility systems. The Orlando, Fla.-based company plans, deploys, and manages autonomous shuttles for private and public communities. It also claimed that it continually improves safety and operating capabilities with data from its deployments.

Beep rakes in funding along with new deployment

In addition to the NAVI deployment, Beep closed a $52.7 million funding round. Intel Capital and Blue Lagoon Capital co-led the round. The company said it plans to use the funding to develop new pilot programs and expand further into key markets.

The company also appointed Kevin Reid, its longtime chairman of the board, as its new CEO.

Beep has found its own niche in a crowded autonomous vehicle (AV) market. Unlike Waymo, Zoox, or many other robotaxi developers, Beep has focused on shuttle deployments. To date, the company has managed 38 deployments across nine states.

Powered by AutonomOS, Beep said its AV-agnostic supervision and management platform enables operators and agencies to deliver transit-integrated mobility services at scale. The platform provides for vehicle and cabin supervision, fleet orchestration, and integrated workflow management.

The company partnered with Oxa in 2023 to bring the Oxa Driver to AVs in the U.S. The Oxa Driver is a software platform intended to enable safe and energy-efficient self-driving of any vehicle type in any environment.

Last year, Beep began working with the Hawai’i Department of Transportation, or HDOT, and Sustainability Partners to launch an 18-month self-driving shuttle pilot at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, formerly HNL.

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