Riding in an autonomous vehicle is, for most people, an inevitability. For attendees to the Fleet Forward: The Tour-Atlanta stop in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, that opportunity may come sooner than later.

During the afternoon ride-and-drive portion of the March 31st event, attendees can hop on an autonomous shuttle for a short, cordoned route to experience the technology.

The shuttle is one of four that are open to the public on a three-mile route in Peachtree Corners — a suburb about 22 miles northeast of Atlanta dubbed “Silicon Orchard” for its concentration of technology, telecommunications, and mobility companies. Peachtree Corners claims to be one of the nation’s first smart city environments powered by cellular vehicle-to-everything, or C-V2X, infrastructure.

The autonomous service has been named “PAUL” – short for Piloting Autonomous Use Locally. Operated by Beep, a developer of multi-passenger, electric, autonomous mobility solutions, the fleet is comprised of autonomous electric vehicles from manufacturers Navya and Local Motors.

Fleet Forward: The Tour

An offshoot of the Fleet Forward Conference, Fleet Forward: The Tour consists of one-day, regional events in which fleet operators can drive EVs and experience other new technologies behind the wheel. The Tour is free for qualified fleet managers.

Fleet managers attending the inaugural Fleet Forward: The Tour-Atlanta will have an opportunity to drive and experience commercial electric vehicles from Cenntro, Lightning eMotors, and ELMS. Passenger EVs from BMW, Volkswagen, Volvo, Nissan, and Polestar will be available as well.

The day also includes networking opportunities and seminars that will focus on charging strategies, funding opportunities, and electrification market trends, as well as workforce readiness and technician training.

After Atlanta, The Tour will stop in Chicago on June 16 and then Dallas on September 15. The Fleet Forward Conference will convene in Santa Clara Nov. 9-11, with more info coming soon.