The Jacksonville Transportation Authority plans to reserve 100 electric self-driving vehicles from Germany-based manufacturer Holon for its Ultimate Urban Circulator, including an initial batch of 14 that will be purchased at $409,000 each.
The JTA board voted 5-0 on April 15 to approve a resolution to reserve the vehicles, which will be produced at Holon’s Jacksonville assembly facility.
The manufacturer announced in September 2024 that it planned to build the $100 million facility on about 40 acres off Heckscher Drive and Zoo Parkway, with plans to open in 2026.
Under the resolution, the JTA would initially purchase 14 Holon Mover vehicles at a total cost of $5.8 million for the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, a 3-mile route stretching from Pearl Street to EverBank Stadium along Bay Street. That part of the system is scheduled to launch in June 2025 with service by Ford vans that have been fitted with autonomous driving technology.
Those vehicles have been tested on the Bay Street route since February with a human attendant at the wheel and will continue to operate that way at the outset of the service.
The resolution calls for JTA to reserve 86 more Holon vehicles to cover the full build-out of the Ultimate Urban Circulator. The completed U2C, as it’s also known, would cover 10 miles.
Payment terms for the 86 vehicles would be negotiated by JTA CEO Nat Ford and submitted to the JTA board for consideration. Ford said the price could change based on technological upgrades, rising costs of assembly and other factors.
The reservation is for five years. Ford told board members that Holon plans to break ground on its facility in 2025 and begin rolling out vehicles in 2027.
Because the U2C is supported partially by federal funding, its vehicles must comply with “Buy America” requirements to procure domestic materials and products. Vehicles from Holon’s Jacksonville facility will satisfy those requirements, JTA staff says.
According to the Holon website, the Mover has a top speed of about 37 mph and can carry 15 passengers.
Henning von Watzdorf, Holon CEO, said during the September 2024 announcement that Jacksonville’s plans for the U2C influenced the automaker’s decision to build its plant in Northeast Florida. Jacksonville was among several cities that vied for the facility.
“Thanks to the support and activities, which are run by JTA and that team, Jacksonville is better prepared than others. We see this as a clear advantage,” he said.
The state of Florida is providing an $8 million incentive award and a tax credit for the Holon facility. Jacksonville is contributing $7.7 million in property and training grants.
In related news, the JTA board voted 5-0 to approve a $36.3 million agreement with Orlando-based Beep Inc. for the third and final phase of the Bay Street Innovation Corridor. The agreement covers operations and maintenance of the Autonomous Innovation Center, the control center for the system, and the autonomous vehicle route service for five years.
The $40.5 million Autonomous Innovation Center, 650 W. Bay St., is scheduled to open April 17.
JTA partnered with Beep Inc. to develop the U2C.