Tecnobus goes driverless with May Mobility: new partnership aimed at autonomous minibus production in 2026
Autonomous vehicle technology provider May Mobility has entered a partnership with Italian minibus manufacturer Tecnobus, thus extended its portfolio of AV use cases at CES 2025 (live from 7 to 12 January in Las Vegas). The partnership is set to introduce a new autonomous minibus platform based on the well known Gulliver model. The first […]
Autonomous vehicle technology provider May Mobility has entered a partnership with Italian minibus manufacturer Tecnobus, thus extended its portfolio of AV use cases at CES 2025 (live from 7 to 12 January in Las Vegas). The partnership is set to introduce a new autonomous minibus platform based on the well known Gulliver model.
The first operational tests will take place on a purpose-made vehicles at the end of this year, Tecnobus says.
Working with Tecnobus, the new autonomous EV minibus will seat up to 30 passengers and include wheelchair accessibility, enhancing May Mobility’s mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) offerings and advancing sustainable transportation, the company states.
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Tecnobus – May Mobility partnership goes on
Tecnobus is an Italian company active in the production of electric minibuses (Gulliver model) since the early 1990s. Almost 600 vehicles were sold in 47 countries until the company halted operations a few years ago, but it was then taken over by industrial automation company ICAB in 2022. Target? “Achieving an annual sales volume between 200 and 250 vehicles with a turnover of around EUR 60 million”, said CEO Paolo Marini to Sustainable Bus. Tecnobus will also produce the futuristic ‘pod’ designed by the Paduan start-up Next in its plant close to Rome and in the newly acquired Ferentino plant (formerly Valeo).
The vehicle will be designed for applications such urban transit, corporate campuses, airports, planned communities and is set to be homologated for use in Europe, Canada and USA. Among the technological highlights there is the battery swapping technology.
Tecnobus – May Mobility autonomous minibuses coming in 2026
The first Tecnobus – May Mobility autonomous minibuses are expected to be road-ready in the first half of 2026, with deployments slated for later that year, May Mobility states. May Mobility is backed by strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Toyota Motor Corporation and NTT, and has completed over 400,000 autonomy-enabled rides across 18 deployments worldwide.
The minibus is May Mobility’s fifth unique vehicle platform and will be integrated into its fleet alongside the Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS platform.
“This collaboration combines Tecnobus’ electric mobility expertise with May Mobility’s cutting-edge autonomy to deliver a transformative transit solution. This new platform represents a significant evolution, perfectly aligned with the values of sustainability, reliability, and vision that Tecnobus has upheld for over 30 years, combining our expertise in electric mobility with their technological leadership in autonomous driving,” said Paolo Marini, CEO of Tecnobus.
“Our partnership with Tecnobus shows that we’re serious about expanding transit access and reducing urban congestion,” said Edwin Olson, CEO and founder of May Mobility. “It’s a strong example of how doing the right thing for communities can also be great for growing our business.”
