Autonomous vehicles may be operating in Knox County sooner than expected. On Tuesday, Knox County Mayor, Glenn Jacobs, met with leadership from Local Motors, the Knoxville-based vehicle manufacturer, to take a meaningful step in the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles.
Tuesday’s meeting granted Local Motors a vehicle tag allowing their shared, autonomous, electric vehicle, Olli, to operate on Valley Vista Road in Knox County for testing purposes. This makes Olli the first autonomous vehicle to operate on public roads in Knox County and allows the autonomous system to learn in mixed-traffic settings under the supervision of a certified safety attendant. Along with rigorous closed-course and simulation-based testing, real-world environments such as public roads contribute data that can be used to improve the safety and performance of Olli.
Mayor Jacobs said, “Local Motors is one of the companies helping solidify Knox County’s position as an innovation hub. Autonomous vehicles are the future. We are thrilled that Knox County is at the forefront of witnessing and helping this type of innovation move forward.”
“We’re excited to work closely with the Mayor to advance the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles in Knox County. Local Motors has been operating in Knox County for almost six years, and we look forward to expanding our presence as we continue to grow,” said Vikrant Aggarwal, Local Motors’ President.
In 2021, Local Motors has been adding features to Olli 2.0 and working closely with user groups and customers to generate value for passengers and customers alike. The mileage in Knox County will add to the thousands of miles Olli has already traveled autonomously.
