Chariot E-Shuttle Service To Cease All Operations

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Chariot, the San Francisco-based commuter e-shuttle service owned by Ford, will cease all operations in the U.S. and the U.K., the company announced Sunday evening.

The last day for U.S. shuttle service will be Feb. 1 and the last day the company will operate in the U.K. is Jan. 25; the company plans to completely cease operations by the end of March.

Chariot's defining trait is its use of 14-passenger vans that traveled along specific routes, dictated by the accommodating mobile app. Riders purchased Chariot credits and used the app's map to find a pickup spot.

Chariot was also known for its charter services and enterprise commuter services. The large seating capacity was popular for "vanpool" commuting.

In a statement released on Sunday, Chariot CEO Dan Grossman cited the "rapidly changing" wants and needs of commuters in today's mobility landscape.

"We are truly grateful to our commuters, enterprise customers, and partners for your support over the past five years," said Grossman.

"Chariot was built on a commitment to help reduce congestion, ease the commute and improve quality of life in cities, and since our start, we have provided our customers with more than 3 million rides. In addition, we helped Ford build their mobility business, and their experience with Chariot continues to inform their mobility efforts and design decisions for the future."

The company said it will make "a good faith effort" to refund customers' remaining commuter credit balances after services end.

San Francisco mayor London Breed took to Twitter Sunday evening to offer the 300 Bay Area Chariot drivers jobs with Muni. Breed said they would help with Muni's shortage of operators.

The company's headquarters is in San Francisco, and it operates in cities such as New York, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles and Denver, as well as the Greater London area in the U.K. The company was acquired by Ford in 2016.