BestMile signs first commercial contract with CarPostal

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04.11.2015

BestMile signs up with its first customer and formalizes its partnership with CarPostal, a major public transport operator in Switzerland, as part of a two-year project in the city of Sion. BestMile will provide its software platform to monitor, control and optimize the first Swiss fleet of autonomous vehicles running in the city.

A few weeks after its participation in the International Transport System World Congress in France (ITS World Congress), BestMile has signed its first commercial project with CarPostal, the company leading the sector of public transportation in Switzerland. This collaboration between the EPFL spin-off and the subsidiary of the Swiss Post will allow operating autonomous vehicles in urban areas.

For the first time in Switzerland, locals and visitors to the city of Sion, Valais, will experience for a two year period this new means of public transport: autonomous shuttles. These smart vehicles have capacity for 9 passengers and will operating on public roads since the spring of 2016. Ultimately, the goal of CarPostal is to complete its offer regarding public transportation, especially in remote areas.

Technology developed hand in hand with the EPFL
The operation of autonomous vehicles in the city of Sion is only the visible part of a much more ambitious project. The laboratory of urban transport systems (LUTS) from the EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) and BestMile are working together since this autumn to develop a new generation of mathematical algorithms. This research, conducted as part of a 2-year project supported by the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI) must allow BestMile to consolidate its leading position in the world of fleet management for autonomous vehicles.

The algorithms developed with the EPFL will take into consideration all the different scenarios that autonomous vehicles can find. These calculations are also looking forward to satisfy the needs of transport operators and travellers such as a flexible and reliable on-demand service. They will also be able to manage operations in real time while offering solutions at lower cost and with a minimum risk. All these features are presented from the perspective of managing an elastic fleet of vehicles interacting with the existing public transport systems.

Traveling with downwind
This project is also the starting point of the partnership between the French autonomous shuttles manufacturer Navya and BestMile. Many other partnerships and commercial projects are planned for 2016.

To support the above mentioned projects and the improvements on its technology, BestMile is currently raising funds. Since its founding 2 years ago, BestMile has been actively participating in different successful projects, such as the European project CityMobil2 on the campus of EPFL. The first external investment will allow BestMile to accelerate its development while launching its technology worldwide.

About BestMile
BestMile is a spin-off of EPFL that offers a solution to control fleets of autonomous vehicles in the same way a control tower does in an airport. Founded in January 2014 and based in Lausanne, Switzerland, BestMile develops a fleet management software whose purpose is to coordinate fleets of autonomous vehicles and allowing them to be operated as a public transportation system.

Taking advantage of the academic support of world experts in mobility, BestMile is recognized as a major player in the mobility revolution. BestMile has been placed on the 29th position of the ranking “Top 100 Swiss start-ups” and has also won the public award at the Swisscom StartUp Challenge.

( Press release)

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