Regensburg tests new technology: autonomous shuttles pave the way for a ‘smart city’

Free and without driver: these are the two shuttle buses that will soon be plying the streets of Regensburg. Final preparations still need to be made.

Regensburg – by shuttle across town – we know that. But what if the driver is missing? That may be new, but it’s no longer a dream of the future. On the contrary: the cathedral city Regensburg * Sent with utilities. Mobility as part of a two-year pilot project put two autonomous vehicles on the road. Calibration was done with test drives in February, such as TVA East Bavaria Writes.

(By the way: our new brand Newsletter Regensburg To inform you about the upcoming Federal elections about all the developments and results from the World Cultural Heritage city – and of course about all the other important stories from Regensburg.)

Regensburg: Shuttle buses were ready in November 2020

They were already standing in the Stadtwerk commuting depot in November: two independent shuttle buses that had to go first to the TÜV. Now is the next big step towards the smart city: “The first preparations have been successfully completed, and now we can start running the road,” says Manfred Koller, Managing Director of Stadtwerk.Mobilität. “Here we are working closely with the vehicle manufacturer Navya and TÜV Nord commissioned by the manufacturer Navya and the Regensburg Industrial Park.”

The Business Park Managing Director, Roland Seehofer, adds: “Our site has always tried to identify and integrate trends at an early stage. We are therefore pleased to be a partner in this innovative project for mobility for tomorrow. In the future, electric-powered autonomous vehicles can serve the last mile in transportation In the next few years it will be conceivable to connect the newly opened train station “Am Gewerbepark” to businesses in the industrial district and the new major bus routes around the industrial area.”

Regensburg: So it continues with the shuttle buses

There are still several steps required before “real” people can actually be promoted. Next, the Navya will record the route with a special camera and program it into the vehicles.

Then the two shuttles are deployed. For this purpose, modifications are made to the programming of the vehicles as well as the safety or bus stops and the performance of the shuttle buses on the road is checked.

Last but not least, TÜV Nord will examine the vehicles’ driving behavior before a second TÜV approval is finally delivered. The stage ends with a joint acceptance of vehicles on the road in the Regensburg industrial region by Stadtwerk.Mobilität, Navya and TÜV Nord.

Regensburg: General Manager of Stadtwerk. Happy Mobility Manfred Koehler!

He can’t wait any longer: Manfred Kohler is pleased to start the pilot soon: “With automated shuttle buses, we are consciously taking a step towards future technologies, and in a broader sense, a ‘smart city.’ We hope to be able to transfer the knowledge we have gained to more demanding ways. In the future and start more projects with fully automated buses.”

When the first “human” passenger can board and use the free shuttle bus, it remains open due to the epidemic situation and changing weather conditions. First of all, you need to see how the situation develops. *Merkur.de/bayern is a show of IPPEN.MEDIA