TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- May Mobility, an autonomous shuttle startup that launched in June in Detroit, says it plans to remove the safety attendants from its vehicles route by route as early as next year.
Alisyn Malek, May Mobility's COO, said Wednesday at the CAR Management Briefing Seminars that the company is looking to expand in Detroit and throughout the U.S.
She said May Mobility has responded to requests for proposals from municipalities in Michigan and other states that plan short-distance transportation services.
In Detroit, May Mobility is partnering with Bedrock to offer the real estate company's employees autonomous rides in six-passenger electric shuttles along a one-mile route. The shuttles run 19 hours a day, five days a week.
May Mobility's shuttles are built by Magna International. Magna outfits Polaris chassis with May Mobility software and self-driving technology.
Each shuttle drives itself, but carries an attendant who monitors the vehicle's performance and is available to take over in an emergency. Malek said the company plans to use attendants when launching routes because they can answer questions, but eventually plans to remove them.
"We study the road network really closely to make sure we understand the variety of things that can come up on any given day," she said. "Detroit happens to be an extremely complicated route with a lot of variables."
She added, "We are looking at identifying routes where the fleet attendant will be taken out -- with a focus on safety and reliability -- next year."
Malek declined to give details on other cities where May Mobility might expand. But she said the company is likely to expand its Detroit service with new partners, and will focus on opening in more U.S. cities before expanding internationally.
To pursue new business models, Malek said the company must expand its vehicle fleet.
"I think we're at the point in the industry where we have to sit back and ask, 'Do people want a better car? Or do they want a better mobility solution?' If we think about it from that context, we'll make much better decisions in how we help people get around."