EUR 37 million for on-demand fleet of driverless vehicles

29 March 2023

Hamburg and German government to increase autonomous transport

The German government and the City of Hamburg have announced EUR 37 million in funds for a fleet of driverless and manual-drive cars in the south of Hamburg, a press release said Tuesday (March 21, 2023). Twenty driverless vehicles will supplement the "HVV Hop" shuttle service as part of the AHOI project. Tests of a mixed on-demand fleet will be undertaken in Harburg by late 2025. The federal government is putting EUR 18 million towards the project as part of the "Model Mobility Region Hamburg".

Driverless transport part of increased public transport

"Last December, we agreed with the federal government to turn the Hamburg Metropolitan Region into a model of mobility," said Dr Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport. Autonomous driving is central to that plan as it is part of Hamburg's aim to offer public transport at five-minute intervals all over the city in 2030, he added. Public transport must be supplemented by driverless services to achieve that goal. "Autonomous on-demand transport could be key to remaining individually mobile in view of increasing traffic volumes," said Dr Volker Wissing, Germany's Minister for Transport.

Anjes Tjarks, Volker Wissing, Lorenz Kasch und Anna-Theresa Korbutt bei der Übergabe des Förderbescheids

VHH putting expertise towards expanded on-demand service

"Thanks to 'HVV Hop', VHH now has a great deal of expertise in on-demand transport," said Dr Lorenz Kasch, Managing Director of VHH. This innovative project is being taken further with the AHOI project. Links to public transport in the south of Hamburg must be expanded to achieve the envisaged transport interval all over the city. Anna-Theresa Korbutt, Managing Director of HVV, remarked: "On-demand transport is the perfect solution for the first and last mile and makes public transport an attractive, everyday solution for even more people."

Metropolitan region to become model of mobility

The "Model Mobility Region Hamburg" also foresees 10,000 driverless vehicles on roads across Hamburg by 2030. The AHOI sub-project should help develop a digital on-demand service in rural areas as well. The suburban railway (S-Bahn) will be automated and Hamburg will also host the world's largest public transport summit, UITP, in 2025 and 2027.
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