Is U2C serious? Help me make it make sense....

[acme54321]

City officials, Holon silent over status of $100 million Northwest Jacksonville facility

After plans for an April groundbreaking came and went for Holon's Northwest Jacksonville manufacturing facility, officials for the autonomous transportation company and Jacksonville's city government have shared no details on what could come next.

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2026/may/18/city-officials-holon-silent-over-status-of-100-million-northwest-jacksonville-facility/

Things that make you go Hmmmm.....

[thelakelander]

Hopefully for the sake of the local taxpayer, the deal falls a part.

[Aristocles]

Jacksonville's government seems to have a history of swinging at the latest shiny object, whatever it is. Urban freeways. Urban renewal slum clearance. Floating nuclear plants. Festival marketplaces. Elevated peoplemovers. Now self-driving cars. The serious analysis of whether or not they're actually feasible, is never done. So they spend how many millions of tax dollars to build these things, and then watch them end up failing and being torn down. Now it seems like it's time for U2C to step up to the plate. Another strike out coming?

[jcjohnpaint]

Watering crops with Powerade? Yeah, that's us!

[fsu813]

We're going BACK TO THE FUTURE, the year 2008/2009, where JTA studied and surveyed the same things. But this time, they mean business. For real.

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/light-rail-or-street-cars-be-added-options-second-round-jta-surveys-future-skyway/MKAR3EW57NEU5IGEPXFJGKJX6A

[fsu813]

And while we're on it, I'd like to see a survey question about integrating hover board technology into the U2C shuttles.

Fully support!

[thelakelander]

All this is getting more foolish each passing day. CM Peluso isn't a transit professional, so I would not expect him to know that there's no way in hell that traditional LRT can use the Skyway's infrastructure. However, JTA should already know this. After all, as fsu813 has said, this is like 2008 all over again.

LRT needs to be a completely separate conversation, as its something that would potentially feed the Skyway, not replace it.

"I envision that it would go to the Northwest side, that it would go up Kings. I envision it would go to the Navy bases. I certainly envision that it would go to the airport, that it would connect with the universities, that it would connect to major neighborhoods. Like, that's the goal. That it would connect to the zoo," said Peluso.

It will be interesting to see how JTA presents and compares apples to oranges types of options.  In the meantime, the demo by neglect of the existing APM intentionally continues.

[jaxlongtimer]

Jacksonville's government seems to have a history of swinging at the latest shiny object, whatever it is. Urban freeways. Urban renewal slum clearance. Floating nuclear plants. Festival marketplaces. Elevated peoplemovers. Now self-driving cars. The serious analysis of whether or not they're actually feasible, is never done. So they spend how many millions of tax dollars to build these things, and then watch them end up failing and being torn down. Now it seems like it's time for U2C to step up to the plate. Another strike out coming?

I noted long ago that U2C was deja vu of the Offshore Power Systems project for floating nuclear power plants.  Just like in the 1970's, we have a company coming to town, promising major investment and jobs, while promoting unproven technology and having only one seriously committed customer, the City of Jacksonville.  Just like OPS, this project is destined for the dustbin of history.

If Holon fails to deliver, Ford will have lost the only real "ace in a hole" he had for any level of support of U2C.  Without Holon, I don't see how any politico can continue to justify standing behind this boondoggle.

I suspect JTA knows what's coming so it's doing these community "surveys" to provide an out as there is virtually no public support for U2C.  It is a foregone conclusion that the surveys will go in any other direction but U2C giving JTA the out it is looking for to save face.

If this plays out as expected, JTA needs to replace its senior management and its rubber stamping board members and get some truly thoughtful, insightful, educated, open minded, ego-less replacements who are devoted to performing their fiduciary responsibilities to the citizens of the City.

[marcuscnelson]

It's very hard to buy the idea that JTA's present leadership is all of a sudden going to take a good faith look at doing rail transit now, after a decade of chasing their self-driving dream.

I don't blame Peluso for being passionate (that's certainly necessary to pursing better transit), but if we're not prepared to take a serious look at the potential trade offs of how exactly we might try to build it (especially on what mode is actually most appropriate or achievable for where and how we want to get people around) and the willingness of everyone to pay for it, we're really at risk of just wasting everyone's time.

So much of the question going forward is about trust, and whether JTA deserves that and the benefit of the doubt in what they claim to intend to do as a mass transit agency.

[Jax_Developer]

JaxUSA is unfortunently poorly equipped & poorly managed. For them to 'back' Holon really proves the lack of expertise & leadership needed in town on top of the failures of JTA.

I love Aristocles comment. When you laundry list the things that have been floated here, it makes you scratch your head. Just like Otto.. somehow this obscure company (not the military, or the dozens of small aircraft manufactures) has ground breaking technology that will change the game with "laminar flow"...

I just imagine all of the labor hours spent on the U2C, completely outside of JTA. Elected officials, JaxUSA, unqualified consultants...

[Charles Hunter]

<snip>
If this plays out as expected, JTA needs to replace its senior management and its rubber stamping board members and get some truly thoughtful, insightful, educated, open minded, ego-less replacements who are devoted to performing their fiduciary responsibilities to the citizens of the City.

You could easily fill the JTA Board with people meeting those qualifications from MetroJacksonville.

[Ken_FSU]

Very, very long way of saying the Holon factory is dead. At least for the next 5-10 years.

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2026/06/01/autonomous-vehicle-factory-plans-shift-gears.html

[thelakelander]

Good riddance.

[Charles Hunter]

If I remember correctly, the "investment and job-creation benchmarks" are also tied to the calendar. Holon and JTA are going to have to renegotiate the incentive package. Maybe with increased scrutiny this time?

Tobias Liebelt, CEO of Benteler Mobility
Gregory Crandell, general manager of Holon US,


Liebelt said Holon is working to bring four vehicles to Jacksonville by the end of this year, in coordination with JTA. The company also expects to open a Jacksonville facility where vehicles can be commissioned and tested on private property before moving onto public roads.

Crandell also said Holon remains in compliance with both the City of Jacksonville and the State of Florida on its incentive agreements.

He said the company has proactively notified both that it may need more time as production is aligned with demand and technology readiness. Crandell said both the city and state have responded that Holon remains in compliance.

Liebelt also emphasized that Holon has not received public incentive dollars.

That point is important because the Jacksonville project includes city and state support tied to investment and job creation. The city previously approved a 10-year, 75% Recapture Enhanced Value Grant valued at up to $7.5 million, along with a training grant of up to $200,000. State incentives were also tied to investment and job-creation benchmarks.

[thelakelander]

So we're buying four vehicles that can't be put on public streets. Smart investment....