More vehicles, longer operating times and three times as many stops: From April, KIRA will be on the road with an expanded service. The self-driving vehicles in the pilot project of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) and Deutsche Bahn (DB) in cooperation with the local partners HEAG mobilo GmbH and Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft Offenbach now run Wednesdays to Fridays between 8.30 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. With two additional autonomous vehicles – then a total of eight – KIRA is prepared for higher demand during normal commuting times.
Second Service Expansion Within a Few Weeks
The operating area already grew at the beginning of March: in Darmstadt, it now includes the Martinsviertel, Mathildenhöhe, and Darmstadt-Ost; in Langen and Egelsbach, trips directly to the local centers have been possible ever since. In total, the self-driving shuttles now serve approximately 130 stops. During the pilot phase, all KIRA trips are free of charge for registered users.
RMV Managing Director Prof. Knut Ringat states: “As a flagship project, KIRA demonstrates what is possible for public transport in this country. Every project and every milestone brings us a decisive step closer to the tangible vision of autonomous on-demand services making people mobile via public transport everywhere and at any time. With more than 3,500 approved test users and positive ratings of 4.7 out of 5 stars, we are clearly on the right track. By expanding operations, we are meeting the demand for trips in the morning and evening, allowing us to gain deeper insights into the use of this future-oriented service from new target groups.”
Frederik Ley, Board Member for Road Transport at DB Regio, says: “Together with RMV, KIRA is paving the way for autonomous transport in German public transit. We are making public offerings more flexible and supplementing classic scheduled services where demand is low—especially in rural areas. On the way to type approval for regular operations, we are now creating the vital foundations to design future services that are safe, reliable, and close to people’s needs.”
Passengers Curious About Technology and Using KIRA for Daily Trips
Since May 2025, autonomous vehicles have been taking KIRA users to their destinations via on-demand booking within the operating areas. According to a recent survey by the DLR (German Aerospace Center), around two-thirds registered out of curiosity and a desire to experience autonomous driving. In everyday life, about 60% use the free service to go home, run errands, or travel to leisure activities. The most popular destinations include the train stations in Langen and Egelsbach, Darmstadt Central Station, and the Loop5 shopping center in Weiterstadt.
Test users rate their journeys via the project’s own app (developed by the Frankfurt-based software company ioki) as very comfortable (4.7/5 points) and report feeling very safe (4.8/5 points). The current expansions aim to reach new user groups. In the DLR study, 70% of surveyed passengers stated they would use KIRA more frequently if the operating hours were more convenient. This expansion makes the service more attractive for commuters and visitors to congresses or trade fairs, such as those attending the darmstadtium science and congress center, which KIRA has been serving since March.
A Regional Pilot Project with National Impact
KIRA stands for “KI-basierter Regelbetrieb autonomer On-Demand-Verkehre” (AI-based regular operation of autonomous on-demand transport). It is the first on-demand trial in Germany to test Level 4 autonomous driving with passengers in public transport. Prior to this, KIRA vehicles had been operating autonomously without passengers in the test area since June 2024—acting as a pioneer in Germany even during that phase.
The autonomous vehicles are operated by DB Regio Bus Mitte. Mobileye provides the self-driving technology, HD maps, and specialized sensor systems. Other partners include the software company ioki, as well as local partners HEAG mobilo GmbH and Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft Offenbach. Research partners for the project include the DLR, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV).
Registration for test rides and further information can be found at www.kira-autonom.de.
