Autonomous vehicle technology company Oxa has announced that its autonomous Ford E-Transit van and minibus are now driving on UK and US roads.

The company described the move as a “significant leap forward” in the commercialisation of self-driving technology, adding that it could cut costs for both goods delivery and passenger services globally.

The vehicle is equipped with standard automotive-grade sensors, including cameras, lidar and radar.

Oxa said the vans have 360-degree perception and long-range detection which enables autonomous operation up to 35mph in mixed traffic.

The vans also have manual controls, allowing the vehicle to be used flexibly in a non-autonomous mode.

To ensure the safe and efficient deployment of the Ford E-Transits, Oxa said it tests vehicles using a combination of controlled environments, real-world driving, and virtual testing using AI technology.

The company added that generative AI, digital twins and simulation allow accelerated training and evaluation.

The autonomous Ford E-Transit is designed to integrate into existing fleets as the vehicle is configurable for both logistics and passenger services, offering up to 10 seats in minibus form.
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.

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

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