OTTOYARD is answering autonomy’s infrastructure challenge—developing smart, scalable depots and powering the future of transportation through the first AV-exclusive ride-hailing platform.
WHO WE ARE…
OTTOYARD was founded to address a critical and underdeveloped challenge in the advancement of autonomous mobility: the absence of scalable, purpose-built infrastructure.
As global cities shift toward electrification and autonomy, fleets of driverless vehicles—both passenger and freight—are rapidly emerging. Yet the systems required to charge, stage, maintain, and manage these fleets have not evolved at the same pace. This growing disparity has created a foundational gap in the market.
OTTOYARD fills that gap. We design, develop, and operate intelligent depot infrastructure tailored to the demands of autonomous vehicles. Our platform integrates physical real estate with advanced robotics, solar energy systems, and software-enabled fleet operations—built to scale in lockstep with AV deployment.
Paired with our exclusive AV-only ride-hailing application, OTTOYARD connects riders and operators directly to the infrastructure that powers autonomy. Our mission is to enable cities, fleets, and technologies to move forward—seamlessly, sustainably, and without drivers.
THE PROBLEM WE’RE SOLVING
AV companies are ready to scale, with firms like Waymo, Tesla, and Zoox already piloting robotaxi services in over 30 cities. However, they lack access to dedicated, scalable depot infrastructure that can support high-turnover fleet operations at scale.
Cities and logistics corridors have no unified operational or staging capacity for AV fleets, leading to regulatory bottlenecks, parking inefficiencies, and lost revenue potential for both public and private stakeholders. A 2023 McKinsey report on autonomous logistics highlighted infrastructure as the primary hurdle to nationwide AV deployment.
No single, integrated system exists today to simultaneously support both passenger AV ride-hailing and autonomous freight trucking operations. Current solutions are fragmented, vendor-specific, or reliant on outdated fueling or parking infrastructure. OTTOYARD solves this by building flexible, multi-use depots that serve robotaxi fleets, freight liners, and municipal transit needs under one scalable platform.
OTTOYARD dual-layer platform
Built Infrastructure — Micro and macro depots designed for AV fleet charging, staging, and servicing
Intelligent Software — A single interface for private fleet management and AV ride-hailing
Execution Roadmap:
Phase 1: Mini Depot deployment in dense urban markets
Phase 2: AV exclusive ride-hailing mobile application integration
Phase 3: Max Depot expansion with automated charging integration
Phase 4: Ultra Depot launch for freight AV staging and trailer services
Our Structure
Ballenger Ventures — Infrastructure and development execution arm
OTTOYARD — Digital platform + operations brand
Chase Austin Ballenger | Founder + CEO
Background: Fortune 100 Corporate Treasury/Investments/Finance, Commercial Real Estate Development & Consultation, IP & Labor Law