Stadtwerke München (SWM), Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) and engineering company IAV are using the vehicles to test autonomous on-demand services in real traffic for the first time. The start of the trials on public roads in Munich’s Gern district mark a major milestone for the MINGA research project, in which ioki is also involved.
During the current initial phase, the vehicles are operating without passengers and with safety operators on board. The focus is on driving behaviour, environmental perception and operational reliability under real-world traffic conditions. The trials are being conducted under a permit issued in accordance with the German Regulation on the Authorisation and Operation of Motor Vehicles with Autonomous Driving Functions (AFGBV), which SWM/MVG have held since mid-August 2026.
ioki provides software for autonomous on-demand vehicles
Once operations run safely and reliably, a second phase will see the operating area expanded and the on-demand system from technology partner ioki integrated. The vehicles will then receive their routes based on short-term ride requests, which the autonomous system will subsequently execute. The software allows passengers to book their trips via an app, enables the pooling of multiple rides into a single vehicle, and ensures that vehicles are deployed precisely where they are currently needed. During test operations, the necessary interfaces, data flows, and operational processes between the ioki platform and the vehicles will be tested step by step.
This is ioki’s contribution to the project: combining autonomous driving technology with a demand-responsive operating model that makes on-demand transport predictable and economically viable.
MINGA
The MINGA research project “Munich’s Automated Public Transport with Ridepooling, Single Buses and Bus Platoons” is investigating how autonomous mobility services can be integrated into public transport in the future. Sixteen partners from public administration, research, business and industry are working together under the consortium leadership of the Mobility Department of the City of Munich. In addition to the on-demand pilot operation, an autonomous scheduled-service bus and a bus platoon are also due to be tested under real-world conditions by mid-2027. The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport with approximately €13 million.
The full press release from SWM and MVG can be found here: https://www.mvg.de/mvg/presse/pressemeldungen/2026-09-07-testbetrieb-autonome-fahrzeuge#
