French startup Navya will open its first North American all-electric shuttle production facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Navya’s new 20,000-square-foot plant will produce Arma, its autonomous electric shuttle for “first- and last-mile transportation”. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of more than $1 million and create 50 jobs, resulting from a $435,000 Michigan Business Development performance-based grant. These funds are approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund and administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Introduced in October 2015, the Arma is designed to carry up to 15 passengers up to 45 km/h, while offering multiple innovative transport solutions optimised for moving personnel, visitors or service agents on private sites. According to the company, “the shuttle is equipped with a multitude of sensor technology providing 3-D vision that maps out the environment, detects obstacles in its path and identifies traffic and road signs,” so it doesn’t require a driver or specific infrastructure. Furthermore, its batteries recharge by induction and last from 5 to 13 hours according to the configuration and the traffic conditions.

Navya aims to build 20 units of their all-electric Arma shuttles in Michigan by the end of the year.