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Robot taxi: world premiere in Munich

2021-09-07T15:23:08.475Z


World premiere in Munich: The technology company Mobileye, together with Sixt, will send robot taxis onto the streets of the Bavarian capital from 2022. A new law paved the way.


World premiere in Munich: The technology company Mobileye, together with Sixt, will send robot taxis onto the streets of the Bavarian capital from 2022.

A new law paved the way.

If you talk to Johann Jungwirth these days, you can clearly see his anticipation. “That is nothing less than the fulfillment of a dream,” he says with shining eyes. This dream is the world premiere of the robot taxi. Jungwirth is a manager at Mobileye. The subsidiary of the US chip giant Intel, based in Tel Aviv, is a global leader in the development of technologies for everything to do with autonomous driving. Together with the car rental company Sixt, Mobileye will start operating autonomous taxis in Munich and Tel Aviv next year. Both companies announced this at the IAA Mobility in Munich.

A logical step after Mobileye has been using the two cities as a test field for self-driving cars for a long time.

Last year Mobileye published a video that shows a one-hour drive across Munich, during which the driver could comfortably put his hands on his lap (we reported).

Cameras and sensors are installed on the roof of the vehicles to ensure all-round visibility, and self-cleaning systems keep the sensors free in all weathers.


But at the beginning you won't do without a driver completely.

"First we will start operating the taxi with a safety driver," explains Jungwirth.

Then everything depends on the authorities: "We hope that we can then send our fleet out in the second half of the year without a security driver."

The federal government cleared the way for this in the summer.

A new law on autonomous driving makes Germany the first country in which cars can go into regular operation without a driver.

“This made the world premiere in Munich possible,” explains Jungwirth.

"The Chancellor took the issue very seriously," praised Jungwirth and remembers a test drive in Berlin that obviously made a deep impression on Angela Merkel.


One would also be in close contact with the city of Munich.

The robot taxi offer fits into their “Vision Zero” strategy, ie the goal of zero traffic fatalities on Munich's streets.

“94 percent of accidents are caused by human error,” says Jungwirth - here he hopes for a lower number of accidents with autonomous and therefore more cautious vehicles.


Another advantage that is not immediately obvious: Robot taxis could make a contribution to inclusion. “These vehicles can be a step towards greater independence, especially for blind people.” Blind people are not always popular as passengers, for example because they are difficult to find, cannot recognize the car that is picking them up and often have a dog with them. “Our app can guide blind passengers directly to the car,” explains Jungwirth. A car trip could become a matter of course for these people.


Mobileye and Sixt want to start in Munich with a fleet of 25 vehicles.

Strictly speaking, the term robot taxi is not entirely correct - it is a so-called “ride-hailing” service, ie a driving service that can be booked via an app.

The best known and most controversial representative of this industry is Uber.

With the amendment of the Passenger Transport Act in spring 2021, the federal government created the legal basis for these services.


In terms of price, the robot taxi should initially be in a comparable range to other providers.

“In the long run, however, our offer will become cheaper.

There are no costs for the driver and the technology becomes cheaper and cheaper over time, ”says Jungwirth.

The operating area will initially lie within the motorway ring and include the route to the airport.


The robot taxis can then be booked using the mobility apps from Mobileye (Moovit) and Sixt. The partnership with Sixt is also a strategic one for Mobileye, with a view to further growth opportunities. “It is our goal to offer such ridesharing services in other German and European cities. Sixt is an ideal partner here, ”says Jungwirth.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-09-07

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