TOMORROW first-ever self-driving shuttle demo in NYC Times Square

WHAT: A chance for journalists to interact directly with the latest in low-speed, driverless vehicle technology - and an unparalleled video / photo opportunity. The first-ever Manhattan demonstration of a self-driving shuttle is coming to Times Square. Rides in a COAST Autonomous P-1 shuttle along the pedestrian plaza on an approximately 160-yard course will be available to members of the media. And, top-level COAST Autonomous engineers and executives will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the future of driverless vehicles. Many self-driving vehicles currently utilize about $500,000 worth of sensors and other electronics, rendering them cost-prohibitive for real-world use. In contrast, the P-1 is economically viable now, because it features an array of highly-effective but far less expensive sensors.

WHY: While self-driving cars designed to reach highway speeds are likely many years from safe deployment on the nation's roads, low-speed autonomous vehicles are ready to go into service now. The P-1 is ideally suited to such low-speed environments as airports, campuses, resorts, business parks, theme parks ... and even famously hectic, crowded Times Square. Legendary for the volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic it experiences daily, Times Square is often rendered impassable by gridlock. This is an ideal environment for low-speed, autonomous shuttles - they offer the potential to remove traffic, parked cars, and pollution from any city center, thus adding the room needed for pedestrian walkways and even green spaces.

WHEN: July 17 (Tuesday), 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Requests for earlier demonstrations will be honored based on vehicle availability)

WHERE: Broadway - between 47th and 48th streets - in New York City's Times Square

Additional information on Coast Autonomous and its self-driving, electric vehicles - along with other state-of-the-art technology - is available at https://www.coastautonomous.com and also here<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tkzVp1sJ5XSMYA7kLeDIA2JuirlQItBe/view?usp=sharing>.