Sixt SE and Intel’s Mobileye to launch robotaxi in Germany in 2022

Sep, 2021 - By WMR

The robotaxi service deploys all of Mobileye's assets that have been in enhancement or purchased in recent times, such as the acquisition of Moovit, a startup that analyses urban traffic conditions and provides public transport travel guidelines.

During the IAA mobility show held in Germany on September 7, 2021, both the companies announced to launch a robotaxi in Munich city in 2022. The riders will be able to use the robotaxi service with the help of the Moovit app as a result of this partnership. The service will also be available via Sixt's mobility ONE app, that will allow customers to subscribe to vehicles or hail a ride, share, and rent.

In the preliminary stage, this is not going to be a significant commercial service. In 2022, an initial testing program for Mobileye robotaxis is expected to start on the roads of Munich city. If this follows the pattern of other early rider lineups, the service will initially invite and then approve small groups of riders before scaling up. Following regulatory approval, the fleet will transition from testing to commercial operations, according to the companies.

Mobileye also introduced vehicles branded with SIXT and MoovitAV during the IAA mobility show. According to the companies, these vehicles, which are integrated with Mobileye's self-driving system, will be mass-produced and deployed for the robotaxi service in Germany. The vehicles are also outfitted with Luminar's Iris series production lidar sensor. While Mobileye is renowned for supplying car manufacturers with computer vision technology that empowers advanced driver assistance systems — a business that generated around U.S.$ 967 million in revenue last year — the company has also been advancing automated vehicle technology.

Intel and Mobileye intend to expand the service throughout Germany and other European countries later this decade. Because of a recently enacted regulation that allows driverless vehicles on public roads, both the companies chose Germany, wherein Mobileye is currently testing its autonomous vehicle technology.