Overview

• The RMV’s KIRA program will extend on-demand autonomous shuttles into northwest Darmstadt, marking the first deployment in a German major city.
• Earlier pilots in Langen and Egelsbach drew more than 1,000 registered testers using six Nio SUVs with Mobileye’s self-driving system and DB unit ioki for booking and routing.
• Test operations still require a trained operator behind the wheel under current law, with speeds up to 50 km/h in city traffic and up to 100 km/h on rural roads.
• The model project is run for RMV with federal and state support, and officials cite acute driver shortages in the region as a key motivation.
• In Saxony, Dorfhain plans a 3‑kilometre autonomous bus link to the Edle Krone station using an IAV-developed vehicle, with similar routes currently operating with a driver and aiming for future remote monitoring.