HEAT

HEAT is a pilot project from Public Transport Operator (PTO) HOCHBAHN in HafenCity, the new business and residential district close to the city centre and the harbour of Hamburg. The shuttle follows a fixed circular route with 5 stops and is wheelchair accessible. It is reachable at the dedicated stations. Along its route it interacts with mixed traffic on public streets and pedestrian crossing.

HOCHBAHN relies on this project to fill in the current gaps of the transport network through a convenient and affordable service. HEAT is a way to investigate the regulatory and technical conditions of AVs in real traffic conditions. These insights will then help develop HOCHBAHN's AV Strategy for future services.

HEAT is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The percentage of support varies from one partner to another.

In Germany a new regulation allows automated driving of levels 2 and 3 as long as there is a steward inside the vehicle. Further legislative changes are part of the coalition treaty, but they are not addressed in the parliament.

Some of the challenges that HEAT has encountered so far include the development/procurement of a high-definition map, the development of a dynamic map Information, and the lack of a secure digital signal between traffic lights and vehicles. The limited precision of the vehicle’s positioning has also presented problems, especially between high buildings.

Associated research to the pilot include customer acceptance, monitored by DLR and regulatory framework and business models which are analysed by IKEM.

Link to more info: https://www.hochbahn.de/heat