Group transportation platform CharterUP has partnered with German autonomous vehicle developer Holon to incorporate self-driving shuttles into its U.S. mobility offerings, focusing on recurring services such as airport transfers and campus transport.
CharterUP, which provides real-time booking, dynamic pricing and tracking for group travel across North America, said the partnership will prioritize long-term shuttle operations rather than occasional charter trips. The platform is widely used by corporations, universities and schools and has increasingly expanded into regular transport services.
Holon, a startup spun off from automotive supplier Benteler in 2023, is developing the fully electric Holon Urban autonomous shuttle. The 15-seat vehicle operates at SAE Level 4 autonomy, meaning it can drive itself within predefined areas without human intervention. Regulatory requirements limit such vehicles to mapped operational zones, making them well suited for fixed routes in controlled environments.
The companies said potential use cases include airports, municipalities, corporate campuses and university sites, where predictable routes and high passenger demand align with the technology’s capabilities. The shuttle can also function as an on-demand service and has a top speed of about 60 km/h (37 mph).
“This partnership accelerates our mission to redefine group mobility by bringing AI-first intelligence and autonomous capability into real-world transportation operations,” said CharterUP founder and chief executive Armir Harris. He added that organizations could begin with conventional services and transition to fully autonomous operations over time.
Sven Herzig, Holon’s chief sales officer, said the collaboration would help integrate autonomous vehicles into existing transport networks. “By combining Holon’s integrated 360° mobility solution with CharterUP’s proven deployment expertise and national reach, we are enabling organisations to adopt autonomous transit safely, sustainably, and at scale,” he said.
Holon plans to manufacture the Urban shuttle at a facility under construction in Florida, positioning production close to its target market. The vehicle is also scheduled to debut publicly in Hamburg, Germany, as part of the government-funded ALIKE project, which will test ride-pooling services using Level 4 autonomous vehicles. The pilot will include both the Holon Urban and Volkswagen’s autonomous ID. Buzz AD.
The partnership reflects growing interest in autonomous shuttle services for controlled environments, where deployment challenges are lower than for open-road applications and operators can offer predictable routes and schedules.
