LAS VEGAS, Jan. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Globally renowned autonomous vehicle maker NAVYA and Via, the world's leading developer of on-demand shared ride technology, today announced a new offering that will greatly enhance both the convenience, safety and user experience of autonomous vehicle rides. Using the Via app, now integrated with the technology within NAVYA's AUTONOM CAB, customers can easily and securely book and control their autonomous vehicle travel experience right from their smartphone.

Via is unveiling for the first time at CES revolutionary new technology within its app to control the rider's "handshake" with an autonomous vehicle. With just a tap on the Via app, passengers can request a ride in NAVYA's AUTONOM CAB, control the vehicle's door opening once it arrives at the pickup spot, and command it to close the door and begin the ride once they're safely aboard. Additionally, passengers can select their choice of music, connect to the on-board WiFi and engage with other amenities of the AUTONOM CAB.

"Via has developed the operating system that will power the autonomous vehicle fleets of the future, with dynamic routing and efficient matching of multiple passengers going in the same direction. We're excited to demonstrate for the first time how Via's shared ride technology seamlessly integrates with autonomous vehicles. We are especially thrilled to launch our first AV demonstration with NAVYA, a company that shares our vision for a future of sustainable, shared transportation," says Daniel Ramot, Co-founder and CEO of Via.

NAVYA's recently unveiled AUTONOM CAB, a breakthrough vehicle without a traditional cockpit or steering wheel, is 100% autonomous, electric, and optimized for private and shared rides for up to six passengers.

"NAVYA and Via share a vision of helping cities overcome the challenges of pollution and congestion by fluidifying the traffic flow. NAVYA has designed the AUTONOM CAB specifically for private and shared rides, while Via is revolutionizing urban transit with its exceptional shared ride algorithm. We're very excited to launch such a partnership through our interoperable network system that brings these two companies together and adds another way for customers to access our CAB," says Christophe Sapet, NAVYA CEO.

ABOUT VIA
Via is re-engineering public transit, from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via's mobile app connects multiple passengers who are headed the same way, allowing riders to seamlessly share a dynamically-routed vehicle. First launched in New York City in September 2013, the Via platform currently operates in New York City, Chicago, and Washington DC, providing over 1.5 million rides per month, and is growing rapidly. Via also licenses its revolutionary on-demand transit technology to transportation operators, and partners with cities and transit authorities globally.

ABOUT NAVYA
NAVYA, created in 2014, is a French company and leading name in the autonomous vehicle market. October 2016 saw NAVYA secure a 30 million euro raise in capital together with its original shareholder, investment fund Robolution Capital, Cap Decisif Management with the FRCI Fund (Fonds Régional de Co-investissement de la Région Ile de France), holding company GRAVITATION, French groups VALEO and KEOLIS. NAVYA benefits from major advances in technology in the driverless, electric vehicle sector thanks to a highly-qualified R&D team. Christophe Sapet, its CEO, is supported by a team of 180 people divided up between Lyon, Paris and Saline (Michigan, USA).

SOURCE Via