Electric autonomous shuttle manufacturer Ohmio Inc. will officially open its headquarters this week in Riverside with a demonstration of one of the electric shuttles that will be deployed throughout the city.
The grand opening is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday at 6868 Airport Drive.
Expected attendees include Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson, Riverside City Council members, Riverside Transit Agency Board members, representatives from the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and government officials from the New Zealand, where Ohmio is based.
“We are excited to establish our new headquarters in Riverside, a city that shares our commitment to innovation and sustainability,” Dean Zabrieszach, president and CEO of Ohmio, said in a statement. “This facility will not only serve as the hub for our operations but also as a center for research and development, driving advancements in autonomous vehicle technology.”
The new facility in Riverside will manufacture the first end-to-end, all-electric autonomous shuttles in the United States, according to Ohmio. The shuttles seat a maximum of eight passengers with a top speed of 25 mph. The zero-emission shuttles available for residents and visitors will be available at several locations citywide.
The company and city also plan to add Ohmio vehicles to the Riverside Transit Agency fleet “as a complimentary service,” officials said. “Trained RTA coach operators will serve as onboard safety operators for the pilot program.”
Zayn Mashat of Ohmio said the company was looking to expand to the U.S., and picked Riverside because it is a city of arts and innovation.
Mashat noted that a meeting with representatives from UC Riverside and the local chamber of commerce left company officials with the impression that Riverside had a “willingness” to bring Ohmio to the city.
“They wanted to bring more innovation and jobs to their city and really build an ecosystem around clean air, clean environment and clean transportation,” Mashat said in video posted on social media.
Specific shuttle routes have not been announced, but Mashat said campus circulators will be around UC Riverside, California Baptist University and possibly Riverside Community College.
“Riverside is emerging as a global center for clean and green technology, and Ohmio is the next step in that evolution,” Lock Dawson said in a statement. “We are proud to welcome Ohmio to our community and look forward to the positive impact their innovative technology will have on our city’s transportation infrastructure.”
More information on the self-driving vehicles is available at youtube.com/watch?v=SzqGugtPHQg.
