Passau: Are self-driving electric buses a future option?

The Lower Bavarian university and three-river city of Passau is currently examining the possibilities of using electrified and autonomously driving bus shuttles within the city area. Involved in the project concept are ZF Mobility Solutions GmbH, a 100 percent subsidiary of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, as well as DB Regio Bus and Regionalbusverkehr Passau (RBP), a joint venture of the companies Eichberger and Lorenz and Deutsche Bahn AG.

The pilot project was initiated by Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer, who also serves as a member of Bundestag for his hometown.

“Passau is a city of commuters, tourism, and students. Additionally, it is a city with challenging topography. An ideal place for a pilot project of this kind," BR24 quoted the Federal Transport Minister.

Together with Passau's Mayor Jürgen Dupper, Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer, and employees of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, the prototype of the shuttle was presented at the ZF factory in the Patriching district of Passau.

Details

According to information from the news platform BR24, the driverless, 40 km/h fast electric minibus can carry up to 22 passengers and has a range of 50 km. The small autonomous vehicle is supposed to be fully charged within ten minutes.

The Passau City Council is set to be presented with the autonomous electric shuttle project on April 26. If approved, a project team will evaluate potential routes, examine financing and funding options from the federal government and the State of Bavaria, and develop business models and operator concepts. According to information on the city's website passau.de, the Federal Transport Minister has already signaled comprehensive funding possibilities.