Review of Speaker Series #7 - The bus system radically rethought (Jan. 23)

What does the bus of tomorrow need to look like to convince as many people as possible to change buses voluntarily?
This central question was discussed by representatives from industry, research and urban transport on 01.12.2022 at a MCube event with a top-class cast: MAN Truck & Bus SE, DROMOS GmbH, EDAG Group, the Technical University of Munich and Stadtwerke München (MVG) gave exciting insights into their visions of sustainable bus transportation.

Entry with a clear reality: the image of the bus today

A Mentimeter survey was conducted at the beginning to find out what spontaneously came to the participants' minds on the subject of buses - the result: "crowded, unpunctual, cramped, uncomfortable". A clear mandate for everyone involved: the image must change radically.

MAN: From a focus on technology to a focus on people - Thorsten Bermanier-Trede (MAN) posed the question: How can we move 1.3 million commuters more efficiently in the future? Buses are currently only used to 20 %. The vision: a bus for 100 people, including 30 seats, combined with real added value such as a panoramic view or smart integration into the urban design. The bus of the future should not just be a means of transportation, but part of the urban experience.

DROMOS: Autonomous, on-demand and compact - Dr. Martin Dürr (DROMOS) presented an alternative concept: small, autonomous vehicles for public transport - on-demand and shared, with the comfort of a cab for the price of a bus ticket. He posed the question: How safe do people feel alone in a small vehicle? And how can such a system also relieve freight traffic?
An application example from Cambridge showed: 160 km route, 88 stops - feasible in a small vehicle concept.

EDAG CityBot: Mobility becomes modular - Johannes Barckmann (EDAG) presented the CityBot - an autonomous, modular vehicle with interchangeable "backpacks". These can carry people, collect garbage or transport luggage. It is already in use at airports and in Deutsche Bank Park, where it delivers sausages and drinks. During operation, the CityBot scans the site using 3D data - an exciting fusion of digitalization, automation and the mobility revolution.

STEAM: Think mobility holistically - Moritz Seidenfuß (STEAM) called for a more comprehensive approach to mobility - not just for people, but for everything that moves. His thesis:
If the bus becomes more reliable, cheaper and better connected, it will become more attractive. At the same time, free capacity could be used for parcel logistics, for example - this would reduce costs and relieve the burden on delivery traffic at the same time.

SWM/MVG: The electrification of urban bus services - Tobias Glaß (SWM/MVG) emphasized that MVG wants to fully electrify its bus services by 2035. Above all, this requires more charging and parking space. New buses are now Rolling databasesthat are used in a smarter way. At the IAA, for example, an autonomous shuttle was presented at the Carolinenplatz presented. The three cornerstones the future of MVG:
➡ Electrification
➡ Digitization
➡ Automation

Panel discussion: Visions vs. reality

Key questions were addressed in the concluding discussion:

• Urban planning as the keyCooperation with LHM is essential, but often complex.
• Energy sourcesGreen electricity is specifically used at night at MVG; Hydrogen is already being tested at EDAG.
• Competition for spaceHow much space can the mobility of the future take up? DROMOS, for example, requires no more space than a cycle path.
• Overcoming old thought patternsThe comparison with the switch from fixed to mobile networks made it clear: innovation requires the Letting go of the familiar.

Conclusion: the bus of tomorrow is more than just a vehicle

What all participants had in common was that the future of bus transport must be human-centered, flexible and sustainable - whether as a large-capacity module with comfort or as a networked swarm of small, intelligent vehicles. The debate has shown that there is no single solution - but there are many approaches that can complement each other. The task now is to test innovations, combine them cleverly and anchor them in society.