The AMEISE project: From Waiblingen to Baden-Württemberg - success factors for holistic scaling

In 2023, the AMEISE project made decisive progress in the implementation of autonomous bus routes, which are intended to strengthen public transport and contribute to the mobility transition. In the successfully completed second phase, the highly automated and emission-free minibus ‘AMEISE’ provided temporary passenger transport in Waiblingen between the railway station and the vocational training centre. The consortium systematically analysed the findings and valuable feedback from the public, focusing in particular on technical aspects, accessibility, traffic econometrics and the conditions for using a driverless bus.

With the start of the third phase in September 2023, the results of the previous phases will be further consolidated. In addition to the existing test site at Ameisenbühl in Waiblingen, the autonomous minibus ‘AMEISE’ will now also be used in Ehningen to connect the railway station with Bertrandt Technikum GmbH. The consortium has successfully launched the project, gained initial valuable insights into the defined research objectives and driven forward the vehicle's approval for the new operating area in accordance with the new legal framework for autonomous driving (AFGBV). The AMEISE project thus not only promotes research into autonomous driving in public transport, but also lays the foundation for recommendations for the strategic introduction of automated shuttles in Baden-Württemberg by 2030.