NAVYA, a French company that develops mobility solutions, and Keolis, a global company that manages passenger transportation systems, have partnered with the city of Las Vegas to launch the first completely autonomous, fully electric shuttle on a public roadway.

The shuttle was launched at the new Innovation District, which was recently created by the city of Las Vegas in downtown Las Vegas.

During a week-long pilot programme, the public will be invited to take free test rides on the driverless vehicle, which has the capacity to transport nearly a dozen passengers.

"Busy areas such as the Fremont East Entertainment District of downtown Las Vegas are the perfect place for the ARMA as it allows people to move easily and safely while reducing car congestion and pollution."

The pilot project was made possible through a partnership between Keolis, and NAVYA, which developed the ARMA Shuttle.

Keolis North America CEO Clement Michel said: “This pilot marks an important milestone in bringing us closer to our shared vision of delivering public mobility solutions that are both connected and sustainable.

“We are pleased to be showcasing this exciting new technology here in Las Vegas with our partners at the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTCSN), as we work together to deliver energy efficient, sustainable transit solutions that will improve the quality of life for people in Nevada and around the world.”

The city of Las Vegas intends to transform its downtown area into a technology incubator and focus on safe, efficient, environmentally conscious mobility and establish a platform for deploying innovation.

NAVYA vice president Henri Coron said:  “NAVYA is delighted to be part of the innovative, new model of urban transportation solutions Mayor Goodman and our transportation partners at Keolis are bringing to the city of Las Vegas.

“Busy areas such as the Fremont East Entertainment District of downtown Las Vegas are the perfect place for the ARMA as it allows people to move easily and safely while reducing car congestion and pollution.”

NAVYA started testing ARMA for service in North America at MCity, the University of Michigan’s test site for connected and automated vehicles, in December last year.