Volkswagen, Mobileye and Champion Motors to invest in Israel and deploy first autonomous EV ride-hailing service

[ - Volkswagen Group, Mobileye and Champion Motors have announced plans to commercialize Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) with self-driving vehicles in Israel. - Volkswagen Group will provide the electric vehicles (EVs) as well as its in-depth knowledge about the design and deployment of mobility services. Mobileye, an Intel Company, will provide a full turn-key hardware and software self-driving system validated for level-4, driverless capability. Champion Motors will be responsible for fleet logistics and infrastructure of the MaaS deployment and scaling. - The Israeli government supports the project proposal of the three partner companies. - Development will begin in early 2019 and roll out in phases reaching full commercialization in 2022.

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 29, 2018 – The Volkswagen Group, Mobileye, an Intel Company, and Champion Motors announced plans to deploy Israel’s first self-driving ride hailing service – or Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) – starting next year. For this, the partners are planning to establish a joint venture. The planned cooperation is subject to approval by the responsible authorities and bodies. Operating as “New Mobility in Israel,” the group’s proposal was formally accepted by the Israeli government during a private ceremony today at the Smart Mobility Summit in Tel Aviv.

The Volkswagen Group will provide the electric vehicles (EVs) and bring in its in-depth knowledge and competency about design and deployment of user-centered mobility services. Mobileye will provide its level-4 AV Kit – a turn-key, driverless solution comprised of hardware, driving policy, safety software and map data. Champion Motors will run the fleet operations and control center. Together, the three companies will add the mobility platform and services, content and other MaaS tools, ensuring a seamless rider experience in the deployment of a full-stack MaaS offering.

The government of Israel has committed to support the project in three main areas: furnishing legal and regulatory support, sharing the required infrastructure and traffic data, and providing access to infrastructure as needed. While New Mobility in Israel will be Israel’s first commercial MaaS service with self-driving vehicles, all facilitations and rulings will be applied to all other ventures that wish to operate a MaaS in Israel.