Estonia’s quiet progress in autonomous transportation has taken a step onto American soil. Auve Tech, the nation’s leading developer of autonomous vehicles, began operating its MiCa shuttle on public roads in West Palm Beach, Florida, last week.
The self-driving shuttle, now sporting official US licence plates, traverses a 1.5-kilometre route through the city’s downtown district — a modest distance but a big regulatory and tech win. “The autonomous vehicles we created in Estonia are a daily occurrence in Japan, and increasingly in Europe and the Middle East. Entering the United States market is a very big step for our company and the entire Estonian automotive industry,” said Auve Tech founder Väino Kaldoja.
For the American operation, Auve Tech has implemented a remote monitoring system developed by local technology partner Guident, allowing continuous real-time oversight of the vehicles.
The Florida launch builds upon Auve Tech’s established international operations, particularly in Japan, where approximately twenty of its vehicles already provide daily mobility services across several towns. The company has secured Level 4 autonomous driving approval after successfully navigating one of the world’s most stringent testing regimes—a protocol comprising 64 distinct test scenarios.
Jessica Keller, West Palm Beach’s Director of Transportation and Mobility, frames the three-month pilot program as an opportunity to “showcase innovation in addressing transportation challenges”.
Founded in 2019, Auve Tech is a 100% Estonian-owned company that develops autonomous vehicles to reduce dependency on personal cars. Their business model goes beyond manufacturing to include custom vehicle development, environmental integration services, advanced fleet management systems, and full operational support.
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