Ridecell buys autonomous vehicle technology firm Auro

US-based Ridecell has acquired California-based autonomous vehicle technology developer Auro in an all-stock transaction.  

Ridecell stated that its autonomous operations platform has been used in pilot programmes and is now available to the public.

The company will now be able to offer complete autonomous new mobility solution, which enables on-demand autonomous shuttle mobility service in low-speed, private-road settings.

With the acquisition of Auro, Ridecell intends to further enhance its capabilities in autonomous operations platform.

The Auro team will become the Ridecell Autonomous Driving Division.

"This platform will help campuses and other private environments prove that autonomy can be an integral part of an urban transportation experience today."

Ridecell CEO Aarjav Trivedi said: “The Auro acquisition and the launch of our autonomous operations platform represent the next phase of our strategy to provide a complete autonomous solution for Ridecell customers.

"We can now provide even more value for our autonomous customers and help mobility operators launch new carsharing, ridesharing, and on-demand shuttle services today that will accommodate the addition of autonomous vehicles without the need to change the underlying platform."

In addition, Ridecell will be able to test its autonomous operations platform in the real-world environment by integrating Auro-enabled driverless shuttles in private roads.

Auro CEO Nalin Gupta said: “The technology behind Auro-enabled driverless shuttles, together with the Ridecell on-demand mobility platform, will help campuses and other private environments prove that autonomy can be an integral part of an urban transportation experience today, rather than just a short, fixed-route showcase.”

Ridecell also announced the availability of its new autonomous operations platform that has been specifically designed to automate vehicle and operations management for autonomous fleets.