Hyundais and Kias are at the center of a new ride-sharing service for people with disabilities that’s being tested in L.A.
The parent of Fountain Valley-based Hyundai Motor America Inc. and Irvine-based Kia America Inc. has enlisted the automakers’ Palisade and Telluride SUVs, refashioning the vehicles for easy wheelchair loading and unloading for an on-demand, ride-sharing service.
The pilot is the first in Los Angeles County’s wheelchair accessible vehicles service to tout SUVs adjusted expressly for riders with special needs. Hyundai is calling this effort EnableLA, which sits within a broader program called Universal Mobility Project, focused on helping those in need get around.
ButterFLi is the tech platform provider being used to traffic the booking for rides, available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., via an app, website or phone.
The two automakers’ parent, Hyundai Motor Group, said earlier this year it planned to pump some $7.4 billion into “smart mobility solutions” in the U.S., including electrification, robotics, autonomous driving tech and other technologies aimed at assisting with the flow of people within cities.
Last year, Hyundai Konas had been used as part of a tech test on the autonomous delivery of groceries through Brea-based Yamibuy.com.
In late 2019, the Hyundai vehicles had also been part of a rideshare beta in select parts of Irvine, called BotRide.
