GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) (TSXV: GPV) (“GreenPower”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of zero emission electric-powered vehicles, together with Perrone Robotics, a leading provider of fully autonomous vehicle (AV) technology and turnkey vehicle solutions for the mobility of people and things, today announced their Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) agreement. Under this new agreement, the two companies will continue to build on the success of the original AV Star developed for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) in 2019. The original AV Star was developed to meet a growing demand in the transit and transportation sector where reliable mobility was a requirement to expand accessibility options for all end-users. Once deployed in 2019, the JTA AV Star became the nation’s first fully autonomous, all electric, ADA-compliant, and FMVSS certified vehicle. The base EV Star vehicle is also Altoona tested and Buy America compliant.
Today with the success of this project, GreenPower and Perrone Robotics have come together to deliver the next generation of the AV Star. Through this OEM agreement, GreenPower’s EV Star, a multi-purpose, zero-emission, min-E Bus will be upfitted with Perrone’s TONY® (short for “To Navigate You”) autonomous vehicle retrofit kit, which will transform the EV Star to the AV Star. Built on the same highly rated chassis as the EV Star and combined with Perrone’s reliable autonomous vehicle platform, makes the AV star one of the most transit ready vehicles capable of autonomy in the market.
“Through Perrone’s leading autonomy solution combined with our purpose-built, all -electric vehicles, we are able to provide the industry with reliable, innovative solutions together. This is the most compelling autonomous transit solution out there, and we are honored to partner with the true industry leader,” said Fraser Atkinson, CEO of GreenPower. “This vehicle is going to be a market leading gamechanger, and we are looking forward to offering market-proven solutions at the national level.
This is an important milestone not only for Perrone and GreenPower, but the industry as a whole,” continued Atkinson. “As we kick off the first day at the American Public Transit Association (APTA) Conference and Expo, we’re excited to showcase this breakthrough new platform to thousands of industry stakeholders at this prestigious event.”
“This new OEM agreement is an important step in delivering large capacity road-worthy AV mobility options for the transit and transportation industry,” stated Paul Perrone, Founder and CEO of Perrone Robotics, Inc. “Our ability to meet evolving customer needs depends on our ability to work with partners like GreenPower with vehicle solutions that fill specific customer demands in the transit space. This is a critical step in the scale of autonomous vehicle solutions across the transit and transportation value chain. Cost-effective, zero-emissions, reliable autonomy that can extend end-user accessibility is the future of mobility. This relationship with GreenPower continues to validate why Perrone Robotics is the autonomy solution of choice, for vehicle manufacturers, customers, and AV passengers alike.”
The AV Star aims to be a leading mobility and transportation choice for cities, municipalities, public and private campuses. The vehicle is capable of carrying up to 16 passengers, is ADA compliant, FMVSS compliant, and can travel at highway speeds. These are important and critical features driven by the vision for the future of autonomous transit.
The AV Star is currently being proved out in the industry through the company’s work with the Jacksonville Transit Authority (JTA) and U2C to undergo testing for transit applications.
APTA Expo
GreenPower will exhibit at the American Public Transportation Association Expo (APTA) in Orlando, FL on Nov. 8-10, 2021. APTA attendees can learn more about GreenPower’s electric vehicle offerings at Booth #2321 and check out GreenPower’s AV Star at Perrone’s booth #2313.
AV Star Demonstration
GreenPower and Perrone will be hosting a Ride & Drive event featuring the AV Star on Monday and Tuesday from 10-4:30 and Wednesday from 10-1 at West Hall C – Circular Entrance.
Panel with Jacksonville Transit Authority at APTA
APTA attendees can learn more about the AV Star during a panel hosted by Perrone Robotics on Nov 9, from 2:40 – 3:10 in the Hot Topics Learning Zone Booth #3261.
Panel participants include, Perrone Robotics CEO and Founder, Paul Perrone, with Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Chief Executive Officer, Nathaniel “Nat” P. Ford Sr. and moderated by transportation and mobility executive Richard “Dick” Alexander of Mobility360. The session topic “Perspectives on Procuring and Implementing Autonomous Transportation Programs” will provide a unique perspective on AV on-road deployments.
