Experiment will take place at testing station.

Self-driven vehicle trials on the A-to-B route: Public transportation experimentation taking place in South Hesse - a German first.

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2025 May 29 . 11:55 PM

1 min read

Public Transport in Hesse Trials Self-Driving Cars for Route A to B; Pioneering Step in Germany's... — Public Transport in Hesse Trials Self-Driving Cars for Route A to B; Pioneering Step in Germany's Autonomous Vehicle Testing.

Experiment will take place at testing station.

Self-driving cars take a significant step forward in Germany as part of the KIRA pilot program, marking the first public testing of Level 4 autonomous vehicles in the nation. Located in the Rhein-Main region, specifically in the towns of Langen and Egelsbach, south of Frankfurt, this pioneering project is a joint collaboration between Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Rhein-Main Transport Association (RMV).

Employing six modified first-generation ES8 SUVs from Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio, these vehicles are equipped with autonomous driving technology developed by Intel-owned Mobileye. In this pilot program, which started in 2025 and will run through the end of the year, these self-driving cars navigate public roads within regular trafficunder the watchful eyes of safety drivers sitting on board and remote monitoring centers. Passengers can secure rides through the KIRA app.

Expansion of the service to parts of Darmstadt is expected later in 2025[1]. The vehicles used for this pilot project are specifically designed to operate autonomously on public roads, positioning Germany at the forefront of autonomous driving development[1][2].

The collaboration between Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Rhein-Main Transport Association (RMV) has integrated automotive technology from Intel-owned Mobileye into six first-generation ES8 SUVs from Nio, showcasing Germany's leadership in the automotive and technology sectors.
As part of the KIRA pilot program, self-driving cars are administering services in the Rhein-Main region, not only within Langen and Egelsbach, but also in plans to expand to parts of Darmstadt, signifying the fusion of finance (the investment in the project) and transportation industries.
The pilot program, utilizing Level 4 autonomous vehicles, exemplifies how the finance and technology industries work together to advance transportation and the automotive sector, with projects like KIRA paving the way for future advancements in smart infrastructure and asset financing.