MobiLab: Mobility living lab at the University of Stuttgart

MobiLab has three objectives: climate neutrality in university-related mobility (daily commutes of students and employees to and from the university, business trips) by 2030, a car-free university campus in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, and a mobility-related real-world laboratory at the Stuttgart-Vaihingen university campus.

To support the implementation of these goals, the position of mobility manager was created at the University of Stuttgart at the beginning of 2021.

The approach of a car-free Stuttgart-Vaihingen university campus is based on consolidating the parking facilities currently scattered across the campus into multi-storey car parks on the edge of the campus, which are easily accessible from the surrounding main roads. At the same time, the number of parking spaces will be reduced.

Additional services are planned to connect this multi-storey car park and the S-Bahn station with the campus. An autonomous e-scooter is being developed for the establishment of an e-scooter rental system, which can drive independently to its next location or to a charging station. One autonomous e-scooter replaces ten conventional ones. The most advanced prototype currently available can drive autonomously on the Vaihingen campus, recognise obstacles and stop independently in front of them. Autonomous electric shuttles connect destinations on campus either according to a timetable or on demand. The shuttles are to be charged inductively while driving. Together with dynamic load management for the Vaihingen campus, this represents another field of research. The first shuttle was handed over to the University of Stuttgart in July 2022, but cannot currently be used due to legal uncertainties.

MobiLab wants to improve cycling and is conducting a real-world laboratory with different types of bicycle parking facilities (racks, racks + roofs, bicycle boxes).

Overall, MobiLab is shaping the ‘Vaihingen University Campus’ test field with the components ‘research vehicle’, ‘research road’ and ‘research car park’.

Funding for MobiLab will end at the end of 2025. Not all of the planned measures will have been implemented by then. However, the University of Stuttgart will remain committed to the goals of MobiLab in the future.