Uber could be offering autonomous rides in California in the future, thanks to a pilot test of completely driverless shuttles and some friendly legislation.
The vehicles are EasyMile EZ10s, 12-person electric shuttles capable of driving at speeds up to 30 mph without an operator. Like Uber?s self-driving Volvos, which are already giving rides in Pittsburgh and Arizona, the EZ10s use cameras, lidar, and highly accurate GPS sensors. But the EZ10 does not have a human safety driver or even a steering wheel on board, relying instead on fleet-management software for remote monitoring and control.
Two of the $250,000 EZ10s have just started testing at the Bishop Ranch business park in San Ramon, 35 miles east of San Francisco, after completing tests at GoMentum Station, an autonomous-vehicle testing center on an old naval weapons base in nearby Concord. Ultimately, the business park wants driverless shuttles to transport workers to and from transit stops, reducing road and parking congestion. The local Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is running the tests, and early last year CCTA executive director Randell Iwasaki approached Uber to see if the company was interested in the project.

?
?Uber understands where people are, where they want to go, and where vehicles should be positioned accordingly.?

? Bryant Walker Smith, University of South Carolina

?

?We?re always looking for first- and last-mile connectivity,? he said. ?We?re trying to find the sweet spot betwe...