Innovation at the forefront at Florida Automated Vehicles Summit in Tampa

Florida Automated Vehicle Summit rolls into Tampa

The 11th annual Florida Automated Vehicle Summit is rolling into Tampa, as hundreds of vendors from across the globe and state leaders discuss the state of the future.

TAMPA, Fla. - The Florida Automated Vehicle Summit is rolling into Tampa this weekend, linking hundreds of vendors from across the globe with local and state agencies and leaders.

Former Florida Senator Jeff Brandes said the summit is a good chance for the state to keep pace with the industry.

"Part of the reason why we’ve hosted this conference is to keep Florida in that conversation and keep us understanding what’s coming because we’ve seen so much transition even in the last decade," Brandes said."

Now the focus is on electric and automated vehicles.

Florida ranks second in the highest electric vehicle users to date, and that number is only expected to rise from here, through things like self-driving Teslas to FUV's, or Fun Utility Vehicles.

"We’re kind of moving towards that world of the Jetsons, and this story and this conference to think about the future," Brandes said.

Self-driving long haul trucking vendors attended the summit as well, and among the featured innovations were air taxis like "Volocopter."

"To vertically lift up a person with electric powered motors … That was very new in those times," Christian Bauer, the CFO and CCO of Volocopter, said. "Next year, we will be the first company to offer air taxi services in Paris."

The summit is preparing for over 500 people in attendance throughout the weekend.