Oxa launches autonomous Ford E-Transit for van and minibus modes

The Ford E-Transit now driven by Oxa software is claimed to offer a new cost-effective platform for goods delivery and passenger services globally.

"Making the Ford E-Transit available for autonomous operations is the next step on our journey to deliver safe, scalable, and sustainable autonomous solutions," Gavin Jackson, CEO of Oxa said in a statement. "This vehicle represents an important milestone in our mission to reshape the future of passenger transportation and logistics."

The new Ford E-Transits are the first mass-production vehicles to be converted using Oxa's Reference Autonomy Designs (RADs). These design blueprints allow for the rapid integration of autonomy on host vehicles, including ‘Driven by Oxa’ software and sensors, compute and drive-by-wire systems.

According to Oxa, commercial production of AVs requires the combination of manufacturing and autonomy expertise, underpinned by a flexible, adaptable approach. RADs are defined, prototyped and validated by Oxa, before being used by vehicle OEMs and approved upfitters to mass produce AVs with flexible distribution and licensing models that Oxa said are key to scaling commercial deployments of autonomous vehicles.