Local Motors brings global fleet challenge for autonomous shuttle to Atlanta

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Local Motors has announced that Atlanta, Georgia will be the next site for its global fleet challenge for the company’s autonomous shuttle, Olli. 

The entry window for the challenge opened on Tuesday, June 4, and entries will be accepted through July 31. Once a winner is chosen, engineers from Local Motors will map Olli’s autonomous route.

The state of Georgia has been open to the potential of autonomous vehicle technology. Peachtree Corners, an Atlanta suburb, is currently working on its autonomous vehicle test track, and just a few years ago, Georgia’s former governor signed a bill into law that allows self-driving vehicles to operate on public roads.

“Georgia has made a uniquely forward-thinking commitment to self-driving vehicles, by allowing them to operate on public roads, which is different than most other states,” says Jay Rogers, Local Motors CEO and co-founder.

“While we don’t expect to see Olli on public roads as part of this challenge, we look forward to seeing how Olli fits into Atlanta’s friendly environment for autonomous technology.”

Part of an “ongoing, first-of-its-kind, global initiative,” the fleet challenge invites municipalities, campuses and designated districts to propose a short-term, local use for Olli. Before an Olli fleet is deployed to a selected location, a panel of local judges evaluates the entries for each challenge.

Thus far, an Olli fleet has been awarded and deployed to the Sacramento State campus. More deployments are coming in Australia, the Washington, D.C. area, and to a winning location in Central Europe. Another challenge is underway in Southern California.