Hamburg has reached another milestone on the road to autonomous public transport: the first autonomous HOLON urban has arrived in the Hanseatic city. The five-metre-long minibus is barrier-free, can accommodate up to 15 passengers and can travel at speeds of up to 60 km/h. Technical testing will begin in late summer in the future 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 with an eye to the future, in the interests of our passengers.’
Flavio Friesen, Technical Director at HOLON: ‘With the deployment of our first vehicles on Hamburg’s streets, we have reached another major milestone for HOLON. We are delighted to be supporting HOCHBAHN in realising its vision of autonomous public transport and to be actively shaping the future of urban mobility together.’
Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition in Hamburg: “Hamburg is a pioneer in autonomous driving in Europe. The aim is to work closely with the federal government, our partners and industry to bring vehicles that can drive completely autonomously into operation in the EU for the first time. This is a prerequisite for the commissioning of larger fleets and a very important industrial policy issue for Europe. With autonomous minibuses such as the one from Holon, we want to make public transport even more efficient, more flexible and thus even more attractive for passengers. The arrival of the new vehicle and its first journeys on Hamburg’s roads are another milestone in 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.”
We last reported on HOLON here:
The ALIKE project is testing two different types of vehicles in highly automated on-demand operation: the HOLON urban and the ID. Buzz AD from MOIA, which is already in service in Hamburg. The new depot for the HOLON urban – the AD Hub – will open in Barmbek in late summer. The minibuses will start their test runs from here. Until the AD Hub is completed, the vehicle will be stationed at the HOCHBAHN depot in Hummelsbüttel.
During the test drives in Hamburg, the basic vehicle characteristics will be tested first. Once the desired test permit for autonomous driving has been obtained, driving tasks will be gradually transferred from the driving personnel to the self-driving system. This transfer will be based on the progressive maturity of the system and will be expanded step by step over the course of the year so that the vehicle can increasingly operate independently.
Once the test phase has been completed, a closed group of users will have the opportunity to use HOLON urban next year. Interested parties can 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 transport services. HOCHBAHN plans to establish autonomous driving in regular service in the future. The project is an important step in this direction, as it will allow the company to gain experience with smaller vehicles in on-demand operation with a view to using larger buses in regular service.
ALIKE is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport with €26 million and is considered a blueprint for implementing the mobility transition in German cities. The aim is to create an intelligent and inclusive mobility offering that sets new standards for sustainable mobility solutions.
26.08.2025
