Riverside showcases autonomous Ohmio shuttle platooning

The City of Riverside demonstrated Ohmio’s autonomous shuttle platooning technology on July 28, 2026, highlighting the city’s push to become a green-tech and advanced transportation hub. The event underscored Riverside’s strategy to attract clean-tech companies, jobs and investment while expanding its role in autonomous mobility manufacturing.

Why it matters: - Riverside is trying to turn its clean-tech and advanced transportation push into jobs, investment and manufacturing activity. - The Ohmio demonstration adds a visible proof point for the city’s effort to market itself as a place where autonomous mobility technologies can be developed, tested, manufactured and deployed. - The event also signals how Riverside is linking economic development with environmental goals.

What happened: - The City of Riverside showcased Ohmio’s autonomous shuttle platooning technology on July 28, 2026. - Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson and Ohmio CEO Dean Zabrieszach took part in the demonstration. - The demonstration featured multiple all-electric self-driving shuttles traveling together as a coordinated platoon. - The shuttles continuously communicated with one another while maintaining precise spacing as they accelerated, braked, turned and docked.

The details: - Ohmio moved its North American headquarters from New Zealand to Riverside in 2023. - Ohmio said the move was driven by the region’s concentration of innovation assets and partners. - Those assets include the California Air Resources Board, the University of California, Riverside and its Center for Environmental Research and Technology, California Baptist University, La Sierra University and the Riverside Community College District. - Ohmio has expanded its North American operations from Riverside since the relocation. - Ohmio shuttles are operating in New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Luxembourg, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and the UK. - Ohmio also deployed vehicles at Phoenix Airport in Arizona. - The company completed multiple phases of work with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at JFK Airport in New York and Newark Airport in New Jersey. - Riverside has also announced investments and partnerships in autonomous transportation, heavy-duty electric vehicles, aerospace manufacturing and clean energy technologies in recent months. - Riverside’s strategy is built around UC Riverside, an R1 research university, along with a skilled workforce, business-friendly policies, a Southern California location and regional partnerships.

Between the lines: - Riverside is using the demonstration to strengthen its pitch as a place where advanced transportation companies can scale operations, not just run pilots. - Ohmio’s move and continued activity in Riverside suggest the city is competing with larger tech and logistics hubs for mobility manufacturing and deployment work. - The city is framing sustainability as part of its economic-growth strategy rather than a separate policy track.

What's next: - Riverside will likely keep promoting itself to global companies working on clean technology and autonomous systems. - Ohmio is positioned to keep growing its North American business from Riverside while expanding deployments abroad and in major U.S. transportation sites. - Riverside’s broader clean-tech and manufacturing agenda appears likely to continue through additional investments and partnerships.