ITS 2021

Bergedorf to become test area for autonomous e-shuttles

18 March 2021
On-demand shuttle service to seal gaps on "first and last mile" in public transport - tests from August in time for ITS

Tests of highly automated e-minibuses will get underway in real conditions in Hamburg-Bergedorf from August to October 2021. The on-demand shuttle service should seal gaps in the first and last mile in public transport as part of the Reallabor Hamburg (RealLabHH). Around 30 partners to the project are developing and testing digital and climate-friendly mobility solutions in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The results will be presented at the ITS World Congress underway in Hamburg from October 11-15, 2021.

Automated journeys at 18 km/h

Demand for individual and seamless mobility as well as connections to suburban railway system is high in Bergedorf with around 36,000 inhabitants. The addition of the on-demand shuttle service should seal gaps in the first and last mile between people’s homes and the next public transport hub. Three highly automated EZ10 Gen3 will travel at 18 km/h during the test phase. The vehicles offer space for 12 passengers and will be accompanied by a service assistant from the local transport provider Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein  (VHH). They will monitor the autonomous journey and can intervene, if necessary. The shuttles can be booked in an on-demand service via an app.

Project involving DLR and Continental

The VHH, Continental, the testing company Dekra Automobil and Easy Mile, a French manufacturer of autonomous vehicles and the DLR Institute of Transportation Systems have joined forces to test the autonomous shuttles. DLR is providing the software for scheduling the demand-driven shuttles and are researching users’ and personnel requirements to gauge how the service with virtual breakpoints can be made as user-friendly and barrier-free as possible via an application. Continental is transferring industrialized products including braking technology, sensors for environmental perception and position determination as well as digital mobility services to the shuttles. Experts at the DEKRA Technology Center are supporting the vehicle registration process and ensuring that all passengers travel safely and free of charge during the trial.

Over EUR 20 million for Reallabor Hamburg 

Last July marked the start of Reallabor Hamburg with the hand-over of the funding agreement by Andreas Scheuer, Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The ministry has earmarked more than EUR 20 million for the project through late 2021. Around eleven sub projects should reveal which digital transport solutions pass the test of real life and offer people genuine added value.  

ITS Hamburg to become test lab for forward-looking mobility

Hamburg is hosting the upcoming ITS World Congress for intelligent transport systems and services with the German Ministry of Transport. The congress, which is being held in the Congress Center Hamburg (CCH) and at select public locations, acts as a magnet for ideas on tomorrow's mobility and logistics from all corners of the globe. Hamburg alone is presenting 40 projects including the autonomous shuttle bus HEAT, which has undergone tests in HafenCity since 2018. The ITS Hamburg 2021 GmbH was set up in early 2018 to execute the congress. ERTICO - ITS Europe is the European industry and interest group for Intelligent Transport Systems and is a public-private partnership.

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