- Initial fleet of 20 Volkswagen Multivan T6 vehicles
- 90 km2 testing ground for shuttle-on-demand
- Goal to improve MOIA services in collaboration with customers
- Up to 3,500 people helping with product development
Berlin, 6 September 2017 – MOIA, the new mobility company within the Volkswagen group, will begin several months of service-testing its ride-pooling concept in October 2017. In Hannover, Germany, a closed user group will use, test, and provide feedback on ways to improve the product. The main focus will be to stress-test the hardware and software. This live test is the next logical step in MOIA’s co-creation process.
“In 2018 we want to offer our customers a perfect and unprecedented mobility experience right from their first ride. That’s why from the earliest days, we’ve been so adamant about developing our portfolio in collaboration with our future customers,” says Robert Henrich, MOIA COO. “Over the next few months, we’re looking to learn about and gain real-time experience with our product. We want to detect and resolve any issues that arise in order to create a market-ready ride-pooling product. Our future customers will help us do that.”
MOIA will use the test results to further develop and improve its algorithm, app, and operational processes. The designated user group can book the service using a smartphone app in which they enter their current location and desired destination. MOIA pools customer ride requests heading in roughly the same direction. The routes are dynamic, with driving and arrival times, as well as optimal starting and finishing stops determined on an individual basis. The 2/3 service test in Hannover will help prepare for the MOIA shuttle-on-demand launch in Hamburg.
Ride-pooling closes gap between public transportation and taxis
“By closing the gap between public transportation and taxis, ride-pooling will offer an attractive new mobility alternative to owning a car. Hannover is the optimal test environment for our concept,” explains Ole Harms, MOIA CEO. “The city and its residents are very open to new mobility concepts.”
How the service test in Hannover will work
The closed user group will be composed of up to 3,500 residents of Hannover, with a test area covering 90 square kilometers. In the test phase MOIA plans to offer its services at a price lower than its operating costs so it does not require a permit from the city for testing.
The test in Hannover will use Volkswagen Multivan T6 vehicles, whereas the final ride-pooling concept will use electric-powered vehicles. The initial 20 shuttles, which will be clearly marked with MOIA Service Test branding, will provide seating for up to four passengers, and more vehicles will be added to the fleet if required.
MOIA service test as preparation for Hamburg launch
MOIA will launch its ride-pooling service with environment-friendly electric vehicles in Hamburg in 2018. The service will supplement public transportation and offer an attractive alternative to owning a car. MOIA is specifically developing a new vehicle model that will be fully electric and provide comfortable seating for up to six people. After successfully completing the field test in Hannover, the goal will be to launch the service in Hamburg with 200 electric shuttle vehicles in 2018 – and extend the fleet in 2019. Once the service has successfully launched in Hamburg, MOIA intends to expand to other cities as well.
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About MOIA
MOIA is a subsidiary company of the Volkswagen Group. The company is based in Berlin and develops its own mobility services, working together with cities and public transportation organizations. MOIA is currently focused on two strategic business segments: ride-hailing and ride-pooling, aka shuttle-ondemand. In the ride-hailing segment, MOIA holds a strategic share of the successful international ride-hailing company, Gett. MOIA is in the process of developing a ride-pooling concept that pools together ride requests from people with similar routes and destinations. Its goal is to reduce private transport and use streets more efficiently.
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