Expansion of DB's KIRA Project to Include Darmstadt, Germany
The KIRA project, a groundbreaking initiative in autonomous vehicle operation, is making significant strides in Germany. The project, a collaboration between Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), is currently underway and has received funding from the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) and the State of Hesse.
Interested individuals can register for the KIRA project through the project's dedicated app. Over 1,000 registered users have been approved for the pilot, with more than six self-driving vehicles now in operation in a major city for the first time.
DB Regio Bus Mitte operates the autonomous vehicles in the KIRA project, while ioki, a DB subsidiary, provides the booking and route planning software. The project has expanded to include the northern and western districts of Darmstadt, with new stops added within the city, including the main train station, Pallaswiesenstraße in the Johannesviertel district, and the Nordbad/Bürgerpark.
Trips between Langen, Egelsbach, and Darmstadt are now possible with the KIRA project. Passengers have rated their journeys on the KIRA unit with an impressive average of 4.5 points out of 5. The project is the first in Germany to test Level 4 autonomous driving with passengers.
The KIRA project is gaining valuable experience in the operation of autonomous vehicles and is providing insights into making public transport more flexible and intelligent. The test operation is currently scheduled to run until the end of 2025, with an extension now in the works. Positive evaluations of the test drives indicate that the KIRA project is on the right track.
HEAG mobilo GmbH and the Offenbach District Transport Company are involved in the KIRA project's test operation. The organization that carried out the KIRA project extension in the northern and western city districts of Darmstadt is "Hochschule Darmstadt" (Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences). Funding for the KIRA project has been provided by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) with a total of approximately 2.2 million EUR.
The KIRA project is currently being conducted in Germany and is offering a glimpse into the future of public transportation. As the project continues, it is expected to contribute further to the development and refinement of autonomous vehicle technology.
