Will we be travelling through Hamburg in autonomous shuttles by 2030? If we have our way - of course! And that's what an agreement between the Federal Ministry of Transport and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg envisages. In a few years' time, 10,000 shuttles are to be on Hamburg's roads - offering a modern on-demand transport service that complements buses and trains with a new product and represents an attractive alternative to cars.
The ALIKE project is trialling a system with up to 20 autonomous shuttles on Hamburg's public transport network, which can be easily booked via an app and take passengers directly to their destination. The system fulfils strict safety requirements, is also intended to be scalable across regions and can therefore also be used in rural areas. The aim of the pilot project is also to research the acceptance of autonomous transport services in practice.
MOIA takes on dual role as fleet operator and tech provider
A total of six project partners have come together to form an alliance for ALIKE: Hochbahn as consortium leader, MOIA, the vehicle manufacturers Holon and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as well as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) as research partner and the Hamburg Authority for Transport and Mobility Transition (BVM).
MOIA has a special role to play here: "In the ALIKE project, MOIA seamlessly integrates an autonomous fleet with two operators and different vehicles into a ridepooling service. It is precisely this interaction between public and private companies that makes the project unique," says MOIA CEO Sascha Meyer. "MOIA's ridepooling system forms the brackets of the project and combines the components of the providers into an attractive offer. In future, people in Hamburg will be able to order autonomous mobility via both the MOIA and hvv switch apps. With this project, we are demonstrating our strategic goal of an open mobility platform for shared autonomous transport in reality."
26 million euros in funding for ALIKE
The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs is funding the project with 26 million euros. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing personally handed over the funding decision at an event in Hamburg at the end of October. "Autonomous driving can be a key to relieving congestion on the roads in major cities and at the same time ensuring mobility right up to the doorstep. The autonomous on-demand shuttle arrives exactly when I need it and takes me directly to my destination. The fully digital booking system makes it easy to order and journeys can be combined, thus saving journeys and costs. I am delighted that we have found a courageous and innovative partner in Hamburg to establish autonomous driving in Germany," said Volker Wissing. After the event, he joined MOIA CEO Sascha Meyer, Hamburg's Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition Anjes Tjarks and Christian Senger, Board Member for Autonomous Driving Development at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, for a test drive in the ID. Buzz AD.
Kick-off for autonomous ridepooling in Hamburg with Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing.
High level of expertise in operating concepts and app development
Through us and Hochbahn, two established operators of mobility solutions are involved in the project, who not only have experience with autonomous vehicles, but also have powerful and accepted platforms for bookings with the hvv switch app and the MOIA app. We are providing the ALIKE operating and ride pooling software.
At MOIA, we have extensive experience in setting up and operating on-demand transport services since 2019 and have been managing Europe's largest all-electric ridepooling service ever since. Hochbahn is Germany's second largest public transport company and was responsible for the successful HEAT (Hamburg Electric Autonomous Transportation) research and development project until 2020/21, in which experience was gained for the first time in the operation of an autonomous shuttle in scheduled services in Hamburg.
Two vehicle types cover different needs
ALIKE will go into operation with two models of autonomous, fully electrically powered shuttles. One shuttle comes from Benteler subsidiary HOLON and offers maximum safety and comfort for up to 15 passengers. It is barrier-free and has an automated ramp, a secure wheelchair space and auditory and visual support for passengers. The second vehicle is the ID. Buzz AD from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. It has already successfully completed its first tests on public roads and will be Volkswagen's first autonomous series vehicle. The ID. Buzz AD offers the ideal size for operation in urban areas - compact, manoeuvrable and with optimum space utilisation.
ALIKE project set to run for three years
The project officially starts with the funding from the Federal Ministry of Transport. In the coming weeks, the main content of the project will be defined on the basis of the preliminary work carried out by the consortium partners. The project is scheduled to run for three years and is divided into three main phases: In the preparation phase, detailed project planning and software development will take place. In the integration phase, the vehicles are linked to the operating software. In addition, the authorisations for vehicles and the operating area are obtained, for example in accordance with the new legislation on autonomous driving. The autonomous ridepooling service will start with the operating phase from 2025.