Autonomous driving is coming - if the funding is there
International decision-makers gathered at the Rail Leaders’ Summit during InnoTrans. The focus was on infrastructure projects for national and cross-border rail transport.
Marc Hermann, Member of the Executive Board of the German Transport Forum and Chief Technology and Infrastructure Officer of Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, opened the International Bus Forum at InnoTrans. Photo: Messe Berlin
There is one crucial lever for achieving climate targets and preventing the impending collapse of urban transport: a modern public transport system that operates with virtually zero emissions and is popular with the public because it is attractive and affordable.
“We have made good progress in Germany, particularly with regard to electrification, thanks in part to federal funding,” said Michael Hermann, a member of the Executive Committee of the German Transport Forum and Director of Technology and Infrastructure at Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, at the International Bus Forum at InnoTrans 2026. Given the current economic challenges, it is now all the more urgent to discuss this: what sort of public transport can we not only afford, but what sort must we afford – so as not to fall behind countries such as China or the US, or to squander potential?
Electrification is underway
Although the electrification of city buses in particular is already “at a very good stage”, the “back and forth, up and down” in federal funding is not helpful, said Kim Kohlmeyer, head of the Berlin office of bus manufacturer MAN. Planning certainty is extremely important for local authorities. If funding were to be drastically cut, “we’d see it immediately in the figures”, said Kohlmeyer. Her advice: “Electrification is well under way; we shouldn’t stifle it.”
The federal government’s budgetary policy is “a bit crazy”, agreed Anjes Tjarks, Senator and President of the Hamburg Authority for Transport and the Mobility Transition. On the other hand, it is also unacceptable for every city bus in Germany to depend on federal funding. Ultimately, this funding must shift from electric vehicles to autonomous driving at some point.
“Autonomous driving is the big thing for the future, also in terms of costs,” said Tjarks. This is because it would allow transport services to be expanded. As soon as autonomous city buses become available, “I’ll buy them”.
Autonomous fleets for rural local authorities
In fact, companies such as MAN and the Volkswagen subsidiary MOIA are working flat out on autonomous public transport services and are already testing them on the roads – MAN in Munich, MOIA in Hamburg. The relatively leisurely pace of public transport makes it a good use case for the development of autonomous driving, said MAN manager Kohlmeyer.
Overall, she would like to see more enthusiasm for innovation and experimentation in Germany – without, of course, compromising safety. “We don’t necessarily have to start on the Kudamm.” However, she could certainly envisage test runs at night on the outskirts of Berlin.
It also became clear that connectivity is likely to play a crucial role in financing autonomous driving in public transport. In rural areas in particular, “we can solve major mobility problems by relying on shuttle systems”, said Xanthi Doubara, DACH Director at Via Mobility.
The Berlin-based software company designs and provides software solutions for integrated local transport concepts in Europe and the US. “We also see ourselves as operators of autonomous fleets,” explained Doubara. In any case, she added, “it doesn’t make sense for every district to manage this on its own.”
At the International Bus Forum, representatives from politics, industry and public transport companies discussed the electrification and automation of public transport. Photo: Messe Berlin