DALLAS — A self-driving electric trolley is starting to gain traction in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The prototype was recently built in the Dallas Design District, and it may soon become a game changer for public transit. 

Shawn Taikratoke, CEO of Mozee — a tech startup based in Dallas, has been working with his team to build a fleet of trolleys with the goal of seeing them used throughout North Texas. He also wants to create a low-cost public transit option for Texans that would be competitive with the price of a local bus fare. 

“We have the opportunity to truly make an impact…Kind of like reset on how people think of mass transit. I mean, like to us, it’s more than just getting from point A to point B,” Taikratoke said. 

The Mozee team believes their trolley can make an impact, especially in areas currently lacking public transit. They developed strategically predefined routes, and there is a safety conductor inside the trolley at all times.

“We train all of our footage on real-life dash-cam footage. And so based on that data, we’re able to build a model…Like the brain of the vehicle, and then, we train it using our simulation,” Taikratoke explained. 

His team has run numerous tests to make sure the digital brain is processing the decision-making.

Mozee will start running its pilot program in June at JPMorgan Chase’s Plano campus. The trolley will transport employees around. They’re also currently working with a North Texas government that hasn’t been revealed yet.

“We’re actually even, you know, forging alliances with other kind of entities in other cities, even outside of Texas. But yeah, we’re mostly focused on Texas,” Taikratoke said. 

After the pilot program, the goal is to have Mozee’s trolleys in universities across the DFW area and then, eventually, in a city.