Holon has received approval from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to conduct nationwide testing of its autonomous Holon Urban shuttle, marking a significant step toward wider deployment of autonomous vehicles in public transport, the company said on Friday.
The permit, issued under the Autonomous Vehicle Approval and Operation Regulation, allows Holon to test the shuttle in autonomous driving mode across federal, state and district roads, provided a safety driver is present. Motorways are excluded from the approval. Holon said the authorisation will first be applied in the ALIKE project in partnership with Hamburg’s public transport operator, Hamburger Hochbahn, as the shuttle begins autonomous test drives on public roads. The permit is valid through the end of 2026 and may be extended.
The company said it plans to test the vehicle across a range of environments, from major urban centres to rural regions. Alongside its German testing programme, Holon is preparing its first production site in Jacksonville, Florida, with groundbreaking scheduled for April 2026. Additional European and Saudi Arabian manufacturing locations are under evaluation as part of a strategy to build production closer to end markets.
Dr Flavio Friesen, Vice President of Engineering at Holon, described the approval as a defining moment for the company. “The nationwide approval for the testing of our autonomous Level-4 shuttle is a milestone for the introduction of autonomous mobility in public transport – and an accolade for Holon,” he said. “The approval from the KBA paves the way for autonomous transport solutions in Germany and shows that our vehicle system is convincing both technically and regulatorily. We are making great strides towards a new era of mobility.”
Speaking about the ALIKE project, Friesen added: “In the ALIKE project, we are united by a common goal: to change mobility. With our HOLON Urban, we are providing an important building block for this. The vehicle will make mobility safer, more sustainable and more inclusive.”