Robotaxis from Mobileye receive TÜV approval for Germany

The vehicles will soon be tested in Darmstadt and Munich. In future, they will be available as on-demand shuttles and courier services.

The Israeli Intel subsidiary Mobileye has received an approval recommendation from TÜV Süd for its robotaxis. The company made the announcement at the CES technology trade fair in Las Vegas. Vehicle type NIO ES8 is now allowed to drive on German roads - without a human driver. Mobileye selected the car for its Mobility-as-a-Service project in 2021. The pilot phase is set to take a step forward this year, with the first test cars driving in Munich and Darmstadt. As permits are still pending, a human will take the wheel for the first journeys.

The cars from the company, which was acquired by Intel in 2017, can be booked as on-demand shuttles. They are intended as a transportation service for people, but can also be used as couriers for shopping, for example. Mobileye is testing the first autonomous vehicles together with service providers such as Sixt, not only in Germany but throughout Europe.

The Mobileye vehicles each use two recognition systems, consisting of three long-range and six short-range sensors with a total of 13 cameras and a radar system. However, despite these advances, a forecast study commissioned by the ADAC assumes that autonomous vehicles will not become a regular part of public transport until 2040.

In May 2021, the Bundestag and Bundesrat passed a law for autonomous driving. In principle, the cars will be allowed to take part in public road traffic, with specific regulations to follow gradually. Since January 1, 2023, level three autonomous vehicles, i.e. highly automated vehicles that cannot drive permanently without human intervention, can also drive at speeds of up to 130 km/h. Previously, only 60 km/h was permitted. Previously, only 60 km/h was permitted.