The Federal Minister of Transport Wissing and the city of Hamburg have announced a cooperation to introduce “autonomous ridepooling” in Hamburg.
The project, which is supported by 26 million euros in funding from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, aims to have up to 10,000 autonomous vehicles by 2030 Shuttles to bring it to Hamburg’s streets. These are intended to offer a modern, on-demand mobility solution that complements local public transport and represents an attractive alternative to individual car transport.
As part of the ALIKE project, up to 20 autonomous shuttles are being tested, which can be easily booked via an app and carry passengers in Hamburg deliver from door to door. The system meets strict safety standards and is designed to be used in urban and rural areas. A main goal of the project is to research the acceptance of autonomous driving offers in practice.
The project is led by a consortium of six partners, including HOCHBAHN, MOIA, HOLON, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Hamburg Authority for Transport and Mobility Transition (BVM). It includes two different models of autonomous shuttles, the HOLON Mover from BENTELER and the ID.Buzz AD from Volkswagen Commercial vehicles, both purely electric and environmentally friendly.
Scientific support is provided by the Institute of Transport Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)to research social acceptance and traffic effects. The project lasts three years and is divided into preparation, integration and operational phases. The autonomous ridepooling services will be available to the public from 2025.
The aim of the project is to create an innovative mobility solution that can be used not only in Hamburg, but also in other cities and regions. With this initiative, the partners want to create a sustainable, efficient and convenient public transport alternative and promote the acceptance of autonomous driving.