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08/10/24

Autonomous Ridepooling: What Is It? 

It is an important building block for sustainable, flexible, and future-proof mobility. In this article, we answer the most important questions about the functionality, benefits, opportunities, and challenges of autonomous ridepooling. 

 

The mobility of the future is taking shape: Cities are growing, traffic is increasing, and the demand for sustainable solutions is rising. A transformation of the mobility system—both technologically and socially—offers enormous potential. Autonomous ridepooling complements traditional public transport and introduces a new form of mobility that is more flexible, efficient, and environmentally friendly. The establishment of such services responds to the growing demand for on-demand and sustainable mobility, paving the way for an innovative and livable future.

Autonomous Ridepooling opens new possibilities 

Autonomous Ridepooling in Hamburg

The city of Hamburg is considered an innovation hub for mobility. It has set a goal to halve climate-damaging emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. The mobility transition plays a significant role in this: in its "Hamburg-Takt" initiative, the city aims to enable Hamburg residents to complete 80 percent of their journeys by 2030 using the environmental network—on foot, by bike, and by public transport, including climate-friendly and demand-responsive mobility solutions such as autonomous ridepooling. 

As part of public transport, MOIA is already actively shaping the mobility transition in Hamburg. Since 2019, MOIA has been transporting customers across the Hanseatic city, without them having to deal with the challenges of urban traffic. When we expand our fleet in the coming years to include autonomous ridepooling, we will offer our customers greater availability: the technology allows for an almost continuous service, as autonomous vehicles can operate without breaks, making them available at all times, day or night. We are therefore convinced that autonomous ridepooling will not only enable more efficient and environmentally friendly transportation but also enhance the passenger experience. 

What Is Autonomous Ridepooling? 

Ridepooling uses an algorithm to intelligently group rides in a similar direction. In this way, ridepooling services can complement traditional public transport and have already been established in many cities. To fully realize the potential of the ridepooling concept for the mobility transition and implement it both operationally and economically successfully, large fleets are required. However, the necessary large number of drivers is not available due to a shortage of skilled labor. Autonomous ridepooling offers a solution. The foundation for our autonomous ridepooling service at MOIA is the ID. Buzz AD developed by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, equipped with cameras, lidars, and radars. Our autonomous tests with this technology have been underway in Hamburg since 2022, with specially trained safety drivers currently monitoring the test rides. 

autonomous vehicle

What are the requirements for Autonomous Ridepooling? 

Close collaboration with regions and public transport companies is a central pillar of MOIA’s strategy. For example, in our ALIKE project* in Hamburg, we are working to integrate autonomous ridepooling into public transport with public transport operators and other autonomous vehicle manufacturers, creating a blueprint for other European cities. 

For a detailed analysis of the prerequisites and factors, we have also developed the MIA tool: New mobility offerings have diverse impacts on the ecological, economic, and social goals of decision-makers. MIA enables these three target dimensions to be considered holistically, allowing urban mobility systems to be analyzed comprehensively together with partners in cities, municipalities, transport associations, or public transport companies, and to be positively and sustainably transformed through tailored solutions. MIA offers an end-to-end digital testing of a mobility service — from analysis to conception to virtual operational simulation in manual or autonomous fleets within a representative mobility model of the city and its surroundings. 

What are the benefits of Autonomous Ridepooling? 

Autonomous ridepooling fleets can be adapted more efficiently and flexibly to peak times. Particularly in the mornings and evenings, traffic increases significantly due to commuters, while it decreases noticeably at other times of the day. Without the need for drivers, the number of vehicles can be increased, providing more availability for passengers. Additionally, the ridepooling offering for autonomous fleets becomes more reliable, as there are no breaks to adhere to, nor are there any cancellations due to sickness. The autonomous fleet can be deployed exactly where demand is expected. 

The technology of autonomous driving thus enables shared mobility to be available, efficient, and cost-effective, which is particularly beneficial in suburban areas and for people with limited mobility. Furthermore, autonomous driving addresses the challenge of the existing shortage of personnel required to operate buses and trains. This shortage of skilled workers is expected to worsen in the coming years due to demographic change. 

Our technology also offers great potential for the environment and climate: autonomous ridepooling in large fleets can significantly reduce the number of private cars, especially in cities. This reduces traffic congestion and promotes climate protection. Additionally, both our manually driven and autonomous vehicles are fully electric, significantly lowering CO₂ emissions in the transport sector. This not only improves air quality but also reduces noise pollution. 

What service does MOIA offer around Autonomous Ridepooling?  

Strong partnerships are essential for progress in the mobility transition. Therefore, we have opened up our ridepooling system and offer all necessary services for autonomous ridepooling to regions, cities, and public transport companies through the introduction of our licensing model. The licensing model includes service design and consulting as well as operational models, such as the necessary fully integrated ridepooling and operational software. This solution can be tailored to the specific needs and requirements of cities, regions, and transport companies. 

Autonomous ridepooling thus holds great potential for transforming and relieving mobility. Both in cities and suburban areas, it can help reduce congestion, noise, and emissions by meeting diverse mobility needs. MOIA is already testing autonomous vehicles and offers a turnkey ridepooling solution for cities and regions through its licensing model.

*Funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) as part of the “Autonomous and connected driving in public transport” funding guideline (ALIKE). Learn more about ALIKE here.