World's first autonomous shuttle fleet: Bahn wants to ignite the next stage in 2023

Created: 06/21/2022, 16:04

By: Jutta Rippegather

The forerunners of autonomous driving.

Christoph Boeckheler © Christoph Boeckheler

RMV and Deutsche Bahn are starting a project with 15 electric vehicles.

The companies speak of a “blueprint for mobility of the future”.

Frankfurt – Book the trip with the RMV app.

The car stops near the apartment for ten minutes and the journey begins quickly.

Without a chauffeur - the driver's seat of the e-car remains empty.

What still sounds like science fiction today is set to become reality as early as next year.

Together with Deutsche Bahn (DB) Regio, the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) will take the next step in on-demand transport in a year's time: "The world's first autonomous shuttle fleet that will be fully integrated into the regular operation of the public transport network has been announced Local public transport should be integrated”, as reported by fr.de.

In the second half of 2023, the 15 limousines from the Chinese manufacturer Nio are to be officially launched.

The districts of Offenbach and Darmstadt are ideal as a test field, because the flexible additions to local public transport have been established there for some time.

The rules of the game - such as booking or tariffs - remain the same, said RMV Managing Director André Kavai on Monday at the annual conference of the Association of German Transport Companies in Frankfurt.

What is new is that the seat behind the steering wheel will remain empty after a short initial phase with security personnel.

According to the industry, this saves costs for drivers, who are desperately wanted on the job market anyway.

The law

In May

, the Federal Council approved the Federal Ministry of Transport’s Ordinance on Autonomous Driving (AFGBV).

This facilitates an automated driving offer.

At Level 4

, also known as "fully automated driving", certain routes and operating areas are defined.

They must be able to be technically supervised by a human.

Level 5 vehicles

drive fully autonomously everywhere and no longer require human access.

legal

Autonomous shuttle from Bahn and RMV: Funding commitments are still missing - the schedule is set

The official funding commitments from the federal and state governments are still missing.

But the schedule is set and the decision for the vehicle type has also been made.

A copy of it is on Monday in front of the door of Kap Europa at the fair.

With a vehicle of the same construction, he recently went on a trip to Jerusalem with his four children and his wife, says Mobileye Vice President Johann Jungwirth and explains the technical details: seven seats, the 100-kilowatt battery lasts all day, a "camera belt" and Sensors ensure safety, a spacious trunk for prams or wheelchairs for comfort.

The test drives in winter were also “very successful”.

Fog causes the most problems.

Why should technology fare differently than humans?

The previous generation:

Next to the Nio are examples from the on-demand previous generation in the RMV area.

The Hopper from the Offenbach district or the Heinerline from Darmstadt.

Easy also falls into this category - the little cart that was driving without a driver on the banks of the Main in Frankfurt, for example.

With a speed of eight kilometers per hour more of a gag than a serious driving option.

The Nios, on the other hand, as full-fledged vehicles, should be just as fast as the rest of the traffic. For Jörg Sandvoß from DB Region, autonomous on-demand driving is an important tool in the fight against climate change.

"We need networked mobility if we want to bring significantly more people into the system," says the CEO.

The aim must be that people leave their cars behind and no longer need them to get from A to B.

In the city as in rural areas.

White spots:

"To do this," says Sandvoß, "we have to close the white spots and become even more attractive." Current experience with the nine-euro ticket shows that it's not just the price that has to be right, but also the offer.

The CEO is certain that the RMV's autonomous shuttle fleet could be the start of far-reaching change: "It's a blueprint for the mobility of the future."