The cars are undergoing testing in Texas, where Toyota and Aurora both have bases of operation.
Early in 2021, Toyota and autonomous-car-development firm Aurora announced a massive long-term partnership that would see the two companies combine forces to help refine and prepare Aurora's tech for public use. Now, little over a year later, we're getting to see some of what's to come.
Aurora this week unveiled its ride-hailing test fleet. Based on the Toyota Sienna minivan, these vehicles are equipped with the company's Aurora Drive platform, a hardware solution that includes the sensors and ancillary bits required to enable vehicle autonomy. From the one picture Aurora provided, it'll be pretty easy to tell these vehicles apart from regular ol' Siennas, given how many sensors are attached to the top and side of the minivan. The Aurora vinyl on the side might give it away, too.
Eventually, Aurora wants its Drive hardware to power a fleet of autonomous ride-hailing vehicles. For now, the companies are still deep in the testing phase. Aurora is currently testing its fleet on high- and low-speed roads around Texas. According to the press release, the vehicle is capable of tackling U-turns, highway merges and lane changes, in addition to reacting to construction and bad weather.
To help showcase how far development has come, Aurora took some Toyota executives on an autonomous round trip from Toyota HQ to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Aurora noted that this trip, largely taking place on the highway, helps separate it from other similar offerings from competitors, most of which are limited to low-speed, around-town jaunts.
"Toyota's engineering team is truly world-class. Experiencing the result together this week was special and is a testament to our progress and respect for one another," said Sterling Anderson, co-founder of Aurora, in a statement. "We've designed and delivered a purpose-built test fleet specifically for a ride-hailing experience that's comfortable, convenient, and safe, and we look forward to sharing more on our progress soon."
Aurora is still hard at work preparing its Aurora Connect service for public use. The vehicles will continue their testing regimen until the company deems the fleet ready. While there are no dates attached to its launch, we're excited to see what comes next.