Up to 10,000 autonomous shuttles could be on Hamburg’s streets by 2030. At least that is what an agreement between the Federal Ministry of Transport and the city of Hamburg stipulates. The “ALIKE” project aims to test a system with autonomous shuttles that can be booked via an app and pick up the passenger directly and take them to their destination. The system should meet strict security requirements and also be applicable nationwide and therefore also usable in rural areas. The aim of the model project is also to research the acceptance of autonomous driving offers in practice. The federal government is funding the project with 26 million euros.
Starting next year, MOIA wants to test autonomous minibuses with passengers in some parts of Hamburg. For this purpose, VW is developing an autonomous version of the ID electric bus. Buzz. The Hamburger Hochbahn and Moia are joining forces with the ALIKE project, and the Institute for Transport (IfV) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is providing scientific support. The joint project also aims to research social acceptance of autonomous driving and model the mobility behavior of the population. The plans include extensive information offerings and surveys. The results are then incorporated into the modeling in order to evaluate the effects of the autonomous offer based on various scenarios.
“I am pleased that we have found a courageous and innovative partner in Hamburg to make autonomous driving a reality Germany to establish. I am sure: This good idea will be accepted by the people of Hamburg and will be followed by many imitators,” said Transport Minister Volker Wissing (53) in Hamburg.
Moia: Millions of passengers in Hamburg
Drivers are still sitting in the vehicles of the shared taxi service Moia, which transported more than two million passengers in Hamburg in the first nine months of the year. Last year, 1.4 million people used the electric minibuses, the Senate recently announced in response to a small question from left-wing MP David Stoop. In September, an average of 100 of the metallic yellow vehicles were on the road in Hamburg, and at peak times there were even 330. The VW subsidiary launched in Hamburg four years ago on April 15, 2019. According to the company at the time, two million people traveled in the shared taxis in the first twelve months.
Since the beginning of this year, Moia has officially been part of public transport in Hamburg. This enabled the business area to be expanded into the districts of Wilhelmsburg, Lurup/Osdorf, Billstedt/Billbrook and Rahlstedt. According to the Senate, there are 12,500 virtual stopping points in the 270 square kilometer area served by Moia.
A few weeks ago VW announced Open Moia to other providers via a license model. Cities, municipalities and local transport companies will in future be able to use the technology required to operate the ride-sharing service for a fee, according to the VW subsidiary. This also includes the possibility of using the Moia brand.