Ohmio signs significant global deal for the supply of autonomous shuttles to South Korea

The agreement was signed by Ohmio executive chairman Mohammed Hikmet and SolaSeaDo President Yoon, Jin Bo.

Ohmio has signed an agreement to supply 150 Ohmio autonomous shuttles to Korean company Southwest Coast Enterprise City Development Co Ltd (SolaSeaDo).

SolaSeaDo is in the advanced stages of securing a contract to build a large-scale smart city in Korea and will know later this year if it has secured the contract for this development.

Ohmio Executive Chairman Mohammed Hikmet described the signing as a “significant development”.

“The commitment to source the Ohmio LIFT, a fully New Zealand developed autonomous shuttle, for this Korean development is a great endorsement of our innovation,” Mr Hikmet said.

Ohmio Chief Executive Dean Zabrieszach said he wasn’t aware of any other commitments to deploy as many vehicles as this.

“We think this is the largest single deployment of autonomous shuttles in the world. While it is dependent on SolaSeaDo finalising the contract for this development, they are very confident about that outcome, and so we are very excited by this prospect.”

The Ohmio LIFT is a 20-person shuttle that can be extended to carry up to 40 people, (the Ohmio LIFT XT1) and operate on pre-determined routes without the need for a driver. It provides services similar to a tram, but on virtual rails, and is guided by a range of electronic systems. It can be used in a range of environments such as airports, business parks and central city areas.

Mr Hikmet said that there is a lot of international interest in Ohmio.

“I am very excited by the strong level of interest we have had in both the USA and Asia. I expect this arrangement with SolaSeaDo will be the first of many to come,” Mr Hikmet said.