Beaumont, CA is piloting AVs

Following earlier successful demonstrations in Calgary and Edmonton, the Electric Autonomous shuttle (ELA) program launched its longest pilot route to date in the city of Beaumont, a suburb of Edmonton, featuring an EasyMile EZ10 driverless shuttle. This 6-month pilot run by Pacific Wester Transportation was the first time ELA was integrated on a public roadway and in mixed traffic. An initial 1.3 km loop was later extended to 1.7 km.

ELA operated 5 days of the week (Thursday through Monday), and served over 6,200 passengers, logging more than 2,000 km through April 2019. ELA was part of the city’s larger Economic Development Framework that hopes to attract investment, industry, and jobs to the city. City Council approved a $200,000 budget for this “strategic economic development investment initiative”.