Future Mobility RealLab Hamburg

RealLab Hamburg is developing digital mobility solutions for Hamburg and the larger metropolitan region - and it invites residents to actively participate. RealLabHH's innovative projects embrace environmentally-minded and climate-friendly mobility systems.

A small white shuttle bus on a parking lot with sliding doors open; the word Moin can be read next to one of the open doors. An autonomously operating shuttle is tested in Hamburg Bergedorf from August to October 2021. Clients can use the shuttle service free via app and ride from their doorstep to the nearest bus or underground train stop and back.

RealLab Hamburg - digital solutions for mobility in Hamburg

Hamburg: a smart mobility lab

Fast connections in and to rural areas, autonomous driving and micro-depots for delivery traffic: these are just some of the eight projects RealLabHH is using to study how mobility in and around Hamburg can be redesigned in a climate-friendly, reliable and convenient way for everyone. On board are 32 partners from Hamburg and the metropolitan region as well as scientific institutions and companies from all over Germany.

RealLabHH's shuttle projects

How can we better connect rural areas with modern mobility options? Shuttle services ioki Hamburg and elbMobil are already complementing local public transport in the city of Ahrensburg, the districts of Stormarn and Harburg, and in the rural Süderelbe region. Tests are being conducted to determine how additional options might make public transport flexible, efficient and sustainable. It is important that riders also be offered an alternative to driving their own cars in order to reduce high volume traffic and still get everyone to their destination quickly.

Autonomous shuttles and microdepots in Hamburg

Out and about in an autonomous vehicle: this dream became reality in Hamburg's Bergedorf district. From August to October 2021, a shuttle bus equipped with autonomous driving capabilities helped close the gap between public transport stops and people's residences. The buses each had room for 12 passengers and could be booked via an app during the test phase. They traveled at 18 kilometres per hour, depending on the route request, through Bergedorf and also came with a vehicle escort from the VHH to monitor the journey and help out if necessary.

Three persons standing in front of three different types of cargo bikes by Hermes, Deutsche Post and UPS. One of two microdepots in Hamburg where items for delivery are collected and packed and then delivered in a carbon-neutral way by cargo bike.

Another exciting project concerns so-called 'microdepots', which are intended to reduce delivery traffic in the city as well as the associated emissions. A microdepot is a transfer point that logistics service providers and regional retailers use jointly. The deliveries are bundled in the depot and, for example, transported to their destination by cargo bike in a climate-neutral way. RealLabHH has been testing how this can work in Hamburg's city centre since January 2021. 

RealLabHH's projects were presented at the ITS World Congress 2021 in Hamburg. 

Participate in Hamburg's future smart mobility

Would you get on an autonomous bus today without hesitation? Or make room on the bike lane for cargo bikes delivering your private parcels? Every two weeks, RealLab publishes questions like these in a public mobility survey. The aim is to make the mobility of the future accessible to everyone and to allow residents of Hamburg and the metropolitan region to actively participate.

For example, what do you associate with mobility technologies like urban cable transport, virtual stops or bicycles? 'Forward-thinking' or 'nonsense'? 'Useful' or 'environmentally friendly'? Only your associations are asked for here; there is no right or wrong answer. Or maybe you also have visionary and creative ideas for the mobility of the future? You may even win a prize: wrap your thoughts up into a snappy headline that could make it onto the front page of a Hamburg newspaper in 2035. Here you can find all the opportunities for participation with RealLab Hamburg (German language only).

ITS 2021 RealLab Hamburg