Test passengers in autonomous buses in Mannheim

In Mannheim and Friedrichshafen, test passengers are now riding in autonomous minibuses in public transport. Two buses with a maximum of ten passengers each are in operation as part of the "RABus" project. Although the shuttles have a safety driver on board, they can drive independently, as the Ministry of Transport announced. 

The interest in the offer is reportedly high: in advance, around 1,700 people expressed interest, and by Friday, 850 test passengers had registered. They ride for free but must register in advance.

According to the ministry, the project has one of the nation's first approval permits for so-called highly automated driving. In highly automated driving, a vehicle operates independently under predetermined conditions, and human intervention should no longer be necessary.

State funds project with nearly 14 million euros

«RABus» stands for «Real Laboratories for Automated Bus Operations in Public Transport». The project is scientifically supported, among others, by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The state is funding the project, which runs until December, with nearly 14 million euros. According to the Ministry of Transport, the electric minibuses are manufactured in Slovenia by the company eVersum. The technology for autonomous driving comes from the automotive supplier ZF in Friedrichshafen, which installs it themselves.

In Friedrichshafen, according to the Ministry of Transport, the minibuses are to operate both within the city and in the surrounding area - and there with at least 60 km/h. In Mannheim, the buses are to be used in the residential area Franklin on the former US military site.