BRAVE10k project aims for 10,000 autonomous vehicles in public transport

The BRAVE10k research project aims to accelerate the introduction of autonomous vehicles for public transport in Germany. Led by telematics specialist INIT, the consortium aims to prepare for the integration of more than 10,000 autonomous vehicles in public transportation by 2030.

Electrive init brave10k scaled — The project partners met for the kick-off of BRAVE10k at INIT in Karlsruhe.
Image: INIT

The three-year BRAVE10k project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and supported by TÜV Rheinland. Around 20 partners from the transport, industry, research, standardisation, and consulting sectors are collaborating to integrate autonomous vehicles into public transport on a large scale. Unlike other initiatives, this project does not focus on developing new vehicle technology. Instead, it aims to create standardised procedures and digital tools to simplify the planning, tendering, approval, and operation of driverless vehicles.

The planned solutions include tools for control centres and technical supervision, a unified classification of route requirements, and standardised approval and certification procedures. The project will also analyse operational data and simulate various deployment scenarios using a digital twin. Additionally, the partners aim to develop open interfaces and standards to improve interoperability between different systems.

Autonomous minibuses are set to complement regular services in public transport in the future.

Image: Bertrandt

The consortium plans to involve transport companies, municipalities, and other industry stakeholders at an early stage. A stakeholder dialogue is set to launch in the coming months. While autonomous shuttles and buses are already being tested in numerous pilot projects, the transition to economically viable regular operations remains a challenge. Key factors include approval processes, safety concepts, control centres, digital infrastructure, and standardised operational procedures. BRAVE10k addresses these organisational and regulatory requirements and aims to lay the groundwork for scaling autonomous public transport services in the future.

The project is part of a series of current research initiatives on autonomous driving in Germany. In early July, approximately 20 partners of the STADT:up project presented their findings on automated driving in urban traffic. While STADT:up primarily focused on AI-based vehicle functions and managing complex urban traffic situations, BRAVE10k takes the next step: addressing the organisational, regulatory, and operational requirements for the large-scale deployment of autonomous vehicles in public transport.

initse.com (DE)