Autonomous cars great opportunity for rural areas

REH: What is your main goal with the Alike project?

Ulrike Arndt: “The ALIKE project is supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport within the context of the mobility transition and is intended to create a blueprint for autonomous public transport operations. It is scheduled to run from 2024 to 2026. As part of the project, 20 autonomous vehicles – the Volkswagen ID.Buzz AD and a shuttle built by HOLON – will be deployed on the roads of Hamburg city centre. HOCHBAHN operates the HOLON vehicles and MOIA, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, is in charge of the VW vehicles. Journeys are booked on the HHV Switch app and the MOIA app. We mainly spent 2024 developing concepts for vehicles and operations and getting started with technical implementation. Our goal now is to launch test operations with a closed user group in 2025. A highlight for us will be the UITP Summit in Hamburg this June, which will place autonomous driving at the top of the agenda. In addition, we see acceptance research as an important project component. This aspect will be measured in three surveys conducted by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology over the course of the project.”

REH: What is the attitude towards autonomous driving in other countries?

Ulrike Arndt: “There are already autonomous vehicles operating as regular taxis in some US cities such as San Francisco or Los Angeles, and they have been very well received by the population. While the projects that have been launched in Europe are government-funded, it is private enterprises such as Waymo, a subsidiary of Google, that are behind the same kind of scheme in the United States. The focus is often on autonomous taxis, as public transport is virtually non-existent in the United States, except in cities on the north coast.

REH: Which opportunities and potential does autonomous driving offer in your view?

Ulrike Arndt: “Broadly speaking, autonomous driving offers transport companies the potential to increase efficiency, which means that passengers services can be expanded in line with the mobility transition. This is true of urban spaces and more rural areas alike. But autonomous driving can be a real game changer, particularly for the everyday lives of people in rural areas, including senior citizens who are no longer able or allowed to drive themselves. Forecasts also indicate that the increased use of autonomous vehicles will lead to a decline in road accidents and therefore significantly fewer fatalities in the long term.”

REH: Can you describe the role of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in the area of autonomous driving?

Ulrike Arndt: “Hamburg is clearly among the pioneers in Europe. In addition to the ALIKE project by HOCHBAHN and MOIA, vhh is also running the ahoi project, for example. This means that there are three large companies here that are actively involved in this topic, which is definitely unique in Germany. The issue is also top of the political agenda, especially at the Authority for Traffic and Mobility Transition.”

Thank you very much for inspiring talk!