The first autonomous commercial vehicle, backed by Planzer and Loxo, has begun operating in Bern, Switzerland. The Dynamic Micro-Hub co-pilot project aims to transition to Level 4 autonomy.
Level 4 highly automated driving is the answer to sustainable transportation in Europe, according to Planzer and Loxo. New regulation governing automated driving (AFV) in Switzerland is expected to take effect in spring 2025.
The autonomous project aims to meet the increasing demands on urban supply chains. The dynamic micro-hub is one of the most advanced applications of autonomous technologies in parcel delivery. A VW ID. Buzz commercial vehicle was retrofitted by Loxo, with the integration of its Digital Driver navigation software for deliveries.
The Loxo Digital Driver is a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that can be embedded to provide SAE Level 4 autonomy on public roads. It was created to revolutionize the commercial vehicle sector, and the logistics industry in particular.
In this two-year pilot phase, the Loxo Digital Driver will navigate between the Planzer railway center to various strategic logistics points in Bern’s city center. The parcels will be reloaded onto small electric vehicles and delivered to the end customers by Planzer Paket staff. Following the successful completion of the pilot phase, Planzer and Loxo will undertake further in-house development, with eight swap boxes, for rollout in other Swiss cities.
Nils Planzer, CEO and chairman of Planzer, commented, “The uniqueness of this project lies in the fact that it will have a direct impact on society. We didn’t just want to integrate automated technology into existing systems, we wanted to develop a completely new concept and a new business model.”
Amin Amini, Loxo’s CEO, commented, “This collaboration represents a significant step for the autonomous driving industry and the European continent. For the very first time, a commercial vehicle, piloted by the Loxo Digital Driver software, navigates the streets of a European capital with the aim of obtaining full L4 autonomy.”