The IAA in Munich is in full swing. Automakers and industry experts are showing the future of mobility and the automotive industry in Munich. However, one announcement surprised yesterday. Starting in 2022, car rental company Sixt wants to partner with Mobileye, an Intel subsidiary, to offer a robot cab service with self-driving vehicles.
Intel’s Pat Gelsinger and Alexander Sixt announced Tuesday that they plan to put a Level 4 self-driving car on the road. That means the vehicle will take over driving operations to the greatest extent possible, needing the driver to intervene only in exceptional circumstances. The robot cab uses a vehicle from Nio for the launch, which has space for seven people and has been equipped with Mobileye technology.
The robot cab is booked through Sixt’s “One” platform, which can be accessed through Intel’s Moovit app or directly through the Sixt app.
As there is still some legal and regulatory work to be done before the Robotaxis can completely take over the roads, operations will initially start next year on a very limited basis while the vehicle’s registration is being reviewed by the KBA and TÜV Süd.
The collaboration between the two companies is taking advantage of the opportunities that come with Germany’s autonomous driving law. The new law, which was enacted in July, aims to make Germany a pioneer of self-driving cars. Therefore, the German government wants to push research and development in this area more strongly and thus shape the mobility of the future. Without the law, which has greatly accelerated the rights and standards for mobility, an experiment like the one by Sixt and Intel would not be possible.
Details, such as pricing and scope of the robot cabs offered at the beginning, will be announced shortly before the official launch of the experiment.
Post image: Sixt/Mobileye
