An autonomous shuttle bus at the MCity testing grounds at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., July 6, 2017. Brittany Greeson | The New York Times

A vehicle fitted with sensors makes its way around MCity, a test track that mimics traffic conditions, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., July 6, 2017. Brittany Greeson | The New York Times

And Ann Arbor is not alone. Thanks to its long automotive history, Michigan is the site of a broad array of research efforts and development centers that are focusing on connected cars and autonomous vehicles. In addition, Michigan has passed laws clearing the way for extensive testing on public roads — even for self-driving vehicles that have no steering wheels — and has equipped more than 100 public highways with electronics to facilitate testing of connected cars and self-driving trucks. The competition to lead in a new era of self-driving cars is fierce. Silicon Valley, the Phoenix area and Pittsburgh are hotbeds, as are Singapore and Shanghai. In Europe, researchers have pushed ahead on tests of platoons of self-driving trucks. "We are doing a lot of tests ourselves in the Netherlands on connected vehicles, and are looking at other places that have the same ambitions," Bram Hendrix, a representative of a Dutch auto industry association, said during a pause in a tour of Ann Arbor and the surrounding region. "We are here to see and learn so we can collaborate with this region." One of the strongest draws to Ann Arbor is MCity, a 32-acre testing ground that opened in 2015. It features simulated city streets, intersections and storefronts where carmakers and others can test self-driving vehicles in a confined but realistic setting. Dozens of companies, including General Motors, Toyota, Honda, BMW and Intel, are conducting research there in collaboration with the university. Last winter they were joined by Navya, a French start-up that has developed a small, autonomous shuttle bus. Two will go into service at the university in September in one of the first trials of a driverless transit vehicle open to the public. By the end of the year, Navya plans to begin building its buses near Ann Arbor.

Shoabing Xu, a postdoctoral research fellow, sat in the driver’s seat as a safety precaution during a demonstration of an autonomous car at the MCity testing grounds at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., July 6, 2017. Brittany Greeson | The New York Times