In the on-demand project ahoi, vhh.mobility is bringing emission-free autonomously driving shuttles to the streets of Hamburg-Harburg.

Autonomous driving with ahoi in Hamburg

Since January 2023, the on-demand-shuttles hvv hop operated by Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH have supplemented local transport in Hamburg-Harburg. Now the innovative service is being taken to a new level.

In the project „Automation of Hamburg’s on-demand service with integration into public transport“ – ahoi for short – the elements „on-demand“ and „autonomous driving“ are to be linked in a unique use case. The aim of this innovation project with research character is to develop and test an on-demand operation with a mixed fleet of autonomously and manually controlled vehicles. This will make ahoi one of the biggest on-demand operations in Europe with a mixed fleet of up to 48 vehicles.

The ahoi project partners

Behörde für Verkehr und Mobilitätswende
Fraunhofer-Institut für Verkehrs- und Infrastruktursysteme
Institut für Klimaschutz, Energie und Mobilität – Recht, Ökonomie und Politik e. V.
PSI Transcom GmbH Logo
Technische Universität Hamburg
VDV - Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen
vhh.mobility Logo
Funded by: Dederal Ministry for Digital and Transport

The ahoi project is jointly financed by the participating partners and has a project volume of approximately 37 million euros. It is supported by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) with approx. 18 million euros in funding.

The operating area of the ahoi project

The operating area of the vehicles with autonomous driving function will correspond with the operating area of the hvv hop service in Harburg. The area is located in the eastern part of the district of Harburg and includes completely or partially the districts of Eißendorf, Gut Moor, Harburg, Heimfeld, Wilstorf, Langenbek, Rönneburg, Marmstorf, Neuland and Sinstorf.

hvv hop in Harburg

The project phases of ahoi

As part of the on-demand transport hvv hop, a mixed fleet consisting of autonomous and manually controlled vehicles is being put into operation for the ahoi project in the Hamburg-Harburg district. For this purpose, an integrated control centre will be developed and accompanying research will take place, including on the topic of accessibility.

The project will be implemented in three operational phases between March 2023 and June 2027:

Latest news from the ahoi project

In the on-demand project ahoi, vhh.mobility is bringing emission-free autonomously driving shuttles to the streets of Hamburg-Harburg.

On-demand transport in Hamburg

  • On the road in emission-free vehicles, powered by 100 % green electricity.

  • Scientifically accompanied by leading research institutions.
  • With an innovative data and infrastructure for smooth processes.

ahoi as part of hvv hop

With the update of the Hamburg Climate Plan, the city has committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 55 % by 2030 compared to 1990. To achieve this, public transport will be expanded and the integration of on-demand services will also be strengthened, with automated transport taking on an increasing role. In order to be able to determine the potential of vehicles with autonomous driving functions, it is necessary to test a fleet of a certain size under real conditions. The integration into other mobility services must also be investigated. This is where the ahoi project comes in.

The project is part of the on-demand service hvv hop in the Hamburg-Harburg area. The project area in Harburg was chosen because the hvv hop area with its structures for testing a mixed fleet of manual vehicles and vehicles with autonomous driving functions offers diverse requirements and real transport benefits for the region. It includes both highly frequented roads with an urban character and areas with a rural character.

FAQ about the ahoi project

The term „ahoi“ is short for: automation of the Hamburg on-demand service with integration into public transport.

As part of the on-demand transport service hvv hop, a mixed fleet of autonomous and manually controlled vehicles will be put into operation for the ahoi project in the district of Hamburg-Harburg. An integrated control centre and applications for barrier-free use are being developed and accompanying research is being carried out, including on the subject of acceptance.

The operation of the mixed fleet, the integrated control centre as well as the accompanying research will be developed iteratively in three operating phases in order to subsequently transfer the service to regular operation. These are:

1. The operation of a manually controlled on-demand fleet with passengers.
2. The test integration of the vehicles with autonomous driving function, including technical supervision, into the operation of the existing on-demand fleet, initially without passengers.
3. The operation of a mixed on-demand fleet with passengers, including technical supervision and integration into a data ecosystem.

The core objective of the ahoi project is to analyse, design and implement new tasks relating to the operation of a large and mixed fleet as well as the development of an associated joint control centre for on-demand transport and vehicles with autonomous driving functions and to deploy them in regular operations. Particular attention will be paid to accessibility along the entire user journey.

The accompanying research will focus on the topics of acceptance, barrier-free usability of driverless on-demand transport, paths of action for technology development for public transport, climate effects as well as implementation, transferability and adaptation requirements for the legal and administrative framework.

The following partners are involved in the ahoi project: Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH (vhh.mobility), Behörde für Verkehr und Mobilitätswende (BVM) of Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg, Fraunhofer-Institut für Verkehrs- und Infrastruktursysteme (F-IVI), PSI Transcom GmbH (PSI), Institut für Klimaschutz, Energie und Mobilität e.V. (IKEM), Technische Universität Hamburg (TUHH), Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (VDV) as an associated partner.

The project will be carried out in three operating phases between March 2023 and June 2027.

The project is jointly financed by the participating partners and has a project volume of approximately 37 million euros. It is supported by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) with approx. 18 million euros in funding.

The autonomous vehicles will operate in Harburg as part of the hvv hop on-demand service. This includes fully or partially the districts of Eißendorf, Gut Moor, Harburg, Heimfeld, Wilstorf, Langenbek, Rönneburg, Marmstorf, Neuland and Sinstorf.

Since the beginning of 2023, the manually controlled vehicles of the hvv hop fleet have been on the road in Harburg and can be booked via the hvv hop app. The integration of the autonomously controlled vehicles into the hvv hop fleet is the subject of the ahoi project and is planned for the project period until June 2027.

The vehicles with autonomous driving function are not intended as competition, but as a complementary public transport service. The expectation is that the vehicles with autonomous driving functions will be used for on-demand transport as well as the last mile, thus complementing local public transport.

Not every passenger wants to travel in an autonomous vehicle. Whether and under what conditions the exclusive use of manually controlled vehicles is possible is a subject of research in the ahoi project.

The vehicles in the ahoi project are approved for use in public transport on the basis of the legal framework. This includes approvals for the operational area and the operation of the vehicles with autonomous driving function in accordance with AFGBV (including the test licence) as well as approval in accordance with Section 1 (1) StVG.

In the ahoi project, electrically powered vehicles with autonomous driving functions will be procured and run on green electricity.

In addition, the vehicles are to meet the regular requirements for accessibility in public transport. In addition to a ramp for people with limited mobility, this also includes tactile elements as well as acoustic and visual signals.

Accessibility is a central element of the project. This includes the barrier-free use of the vehicles and also the accompanying research will focus on this.

In addition, the app for barrier-free public transport use for visually and hearing impaired people currently developed in the project „Towards the Hamburg Takt“ is to be expanded accordingly for on-demand transport with the involvement of those affected. This includes barrier-free boarding at virtual stops and passenger information in automated vehicles for visually and hearing impaired people.

For the development of the autonomous on-demand shuttles, vhh.mobility has entered into a research and development partnership with IAV (Ingenieursgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr), one of the leading development partners in the automotive industry. The partner for the construction and supply of the autonomous shuttles is the vehicle developer eVersum, a pioneer in the field of autonomous electric commercial vehicles.

There is currently a high number of vacancies in the transport service. Driverless transport can help to meet this challenge and relieve the driving service. In addition, an expansion of services could be realised despite a lack of qualified personnel. A reduction in the number of jobs in the transport service is not to be expected. On the contrary, this type of transport service even creates new jobs, e.g. in technical supervision.

The ahoi project will examine whether and how the operation of autonomously controlled vehicles in Hamburg and on the tested route can be continued and possibly expanded after the pilot project has been completed.

Contact

Moin! Thank you for your interest in the ahoi project. Feel free to contact us via e-mail at ahoi@vhh-mobility.de and we will answer your questions or put you in touch with the project partners.