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Munich Readies Pilot of Automated Electric City Bus With Rider Trials This Autumn

The pilot signals a push to use automation to keep buses running despite driver shortages.

Overview

  • MAN and Munich’s transit operator MVG plan street tests of a self-driving city bus without passengers first, then limited rides for a closed user group starting in autumn 2026 with a safety driver on board.
  • The retrofitted Lion’s City 12 E uses Adastec’s Automated Driving System with five LiDAR units, six radars, eight cameras and satellite positioning to steer, accelerate, brake and signal on its own.
  • The bus is in fine-tuning at MAN’s Munich site, where engineers are validating maneuvers such as pulling up to stops before moving into real traffic.
  • The trial sits within Munich’s MINGA research program backed by roughly €13 million from Germany’s transport ministry, and the debut once slated for 2025 is now targeted for autumn 2026.
  • Adastec is named as MAN’s new automation partner after earlier plans with Mobileye were reported, and the companies have not explained the switch.