Vicinity Motor Corp. announced a new partnership with automated driving software platform provider ADASTEC to create an SAE Level-4 automated Vicinity Lighting EV transit bus (the Vicinity Automated Lightning EV) for the North American market.

Vicinity and ADASTEC's Partnership

The collaboration places an emphasis on automated, connected, and shared solutions, driving accessibility and sustainability.

"Over the last year, we have worked closely with ADASTEC, recognizing our leading position in the industry, to formalize our partnership agreement while jointly pursuing opportunities to deploy automated solutions," said William Trainer, founder/CEO of Vicinity. "Taking this time to get it right has resulted in a more targeted and efficient partnership. ADASTEC's extensive experience in SAE Level-4 automated driving software platform complements our expertise, setting the stage for pioneering advancements in the field in the quarters and years to come."

The partnership brings together Vicinity's expertise in medium-duty, accessible, fully electrified low-floor transit vehicles with ADASTEC's SAE Level-4 automated driving software platform, flowride.ai.

"ADASTEC is dedicated to solving modern city problems with automated public transportation, providing high-quality transportation to underserved communities while reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions," said Dr. Ali, CEO of ADASTEC. "To achieve scalability, we partnered with OEMs from the beginning instead of retrofitting or trying to develop our own vehicle. This allows us to leverage more than 100 years of experience in the automotive manufacturing industry. Our partnership with Vicinity has the potential to bring FMVSS, ADA, and Buy America-compliant automated buses to the North American market. By leveraging our experience in global deployments, we will provide the best solution to North America, which is the largest and highest growth rate market for automated transportation solutions."