Hamburg is setting another milestone on the way to autonomous public transport: The first autonomous HOLON urban has arrived in the Hanseatic city. The five-metre-long minibus is barrier-free, offers space for up to 15 passengers and can travel at speeds of up to 60 km/h. Technical test operation will start in late summer in the later service area from Stadtpark to the Elbe and from Schlump to Wandsbek. The first passengers will be able to board from 2026.

Robert Henrich, CEO of HOCHBAHN: "The arrival of the first autonomous HOLON Shuttle marks the beginning of a new phase in public transport for HOCHBAHN. We want to find out how we can intelligently integrate autonomous vehicles – flexibly and forward-looking, in the interests of our passengers."

Flavio Friesen, Technical Manager HOLON: "With the use of our first vehicles on Hamburg's roads, we have reached another major milestone for HOLON. We are very pleased to support HOCHBAHN in implementing its vision of autonomous public transport and to actively shape the future of urban mobility together."

Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition Hamburg: "Hamburg is a pioneer for autonomous driving in Europe. The aim is to work closely with the federal government, our partners and industry and thus to put vehicles into operation that can drive fully autonomously for the first time in the EU. This is the prerequisite for the commissioning of larger fleets and a very important industrial policy issue for Europe. With autonomous minibuses like the one from Holon, we want to make public transport even more efficient, even more flexible and thus even more attractive for passengers. The arrival of the new vehicle and the first trips on Hamburg's roads are another milestone of the project. People can already apply for a ride next year to experience the future of public transport for themselves in the truest sense of the word."

In the ALIKE project, two different vehicle types are being tested in highly automated on-demand operation: the HOLON urban and the ID. Buzz AD from MOIA, which is already in operation in Hamburg. In late summer, the new depot for the HOLON urban – the AD Hub – will be opened in Barmbek. From here, the minibuses will start their test drives. Until the completion of the AD Hub, the vehicle will be stationed at the HOCHBAHN depot in Hummelsbüttel.

As part of the test drives in Hamburg, the basic vehicle characteristics will first be tested. With the receipt of the desired test permit for autonomous driving, the driving tasks will be gradually transferred from the driving personnel to the self-driving system. This handover is based on the progressive maturity of the system and will be gradually expanded over the course of the year so that the vehicle can increasingly act independently. 

After completion of the test phase, a closed group of users will have the opportunity to use HOLON urban next year. Interested parties can already register today at www.hvv-switch.de/de/autonome-shuttles-testen/   A total of up to 20 vehicles are to be used in the project.

The aim of the ALIKE project is to gain insights into the operation and acceptance of autonomous driving services. In the future, the HOCHBAHN plans to establish autonomous driving in regular services. To this end, the project is an important step towards gaining experience for the use of larger and larger buses in regular service with initially even smaller vehicles in on-demand operation.

ALIKE is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport with 26 million euros and is considered a blueprint for the implementation of the mobility turnaround in German cities. The aim is to create an intelligent and inclusive mobility offering that sets new standards for sustainable mobility solutions.