Overview

• The RMV-backed KIRA service extends to northwest Darmstadt next week after pilots in Langen and Egelsbach drew more than 1,000 registered testers.
• Vehicles operate on designated corridors with app-ordered virtual stops, offering pickups in about 20 minutes and seating for up to three per shuttle.
• A specially trained operator remains at the wheel during tests, with a transition planned to centralized monitoring and eventual staff-free operation.
• Germany’s 2021 autonomous-driving law enables these trials as federal and state officials promote the goal of becoming a lead market for autonomy.
• In Saxony, a separate IAV-developed bus project in Dorfhain plans to link the village to the Edle Krone station on a challenging three‑kilometer route.