Vetter Verkehrsbetriebe, MoPla Solutions GmbH, and Bliq GmbH have entered into a strategic partnership to introduce autonomous driving in public transportation. With the Letter of Intent (LOI) signed on August 24, the three companies aim to establish autonomous shuttle solutions as a permanent, safe, and scalable component of future mobility concepts.

The starting point is a joint pilot project in the Anhalt-Bitterfeld district, which Vetter Verkehrsbetriebe has been preparing since May 2026. The long-term goal is to integrate autonomous shuttles at SAE Level 4 into regular public transit operations. At the same time, the approach to remote technical supervision developed by Bliq is already making it possible to deploy autonomous shuttles commercially in the district—while preparations are underway for the more complex L4 certification, this allows for the rapid launch of actual passenger service. In this way, the partners are addressing the challenge of sparsely populated areas with low bus frequency and long “first and last mile” journeys. The project is receiving scientific support from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences.

Through this LOI, the three companies are pooling their respective areas of expertise. Vetter Verkehrsbetriebe is contributing its expertise in public transit and on-demand services, as well as access to service areas, control centers, and passengers. MoPla Solutions is contributing its own digital mobility platform, which integrates scheduled service, on-demand buses, on-demand rides, and ticketing, and brings experience in ride-pooling, dispatching, and billing through its MoPla myway fleets. Bliq contributes the vehicle- and software-based technology for autonomous driving and, according to its own statements, is the first company with EU approval to operate without a safety driver on board. All three partners are privately owned, which, according to their own claims, makes the collaboration particularly lean and effective in implementation.

The specific goal is to have five autonomous vehicles on the road as early as 2027, which passengers in the district will be able to book and experience. The base vehicles will be the compact Hyundai Ioniq 5 with 800-V charging capability and the KIA PV5, a 7-seater. In the years that follow, an ambitious and phased rollout is planned, which will also include additional service areas. The collaboration is designed around an iterative, agile approach: tests, demonstrators, and field trials will be planned and evaluated jointly.  

The LOI marks an important milestone for the pilot project: Following the grant approval in July and political coordination with the Anhalt-Bitterfeld district and the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Bliq has now been designated as a technology system partner with whom the next steps will be finalized and implemented.

Andy Grabner, District Administrator of the Anhalt-Bitterfeld District: “With the partnership between Vetter, MoPla, and Bliq, we are taking a decisive step toward a replicable operating model for autonomous mobility in rural areas. Our goal is to ensure mobility where traditional public transit services reach their limits—and thereby make workplaces and residential areas in the district more accessible. Anhalt-Bitterfeld aims to be a pioneer in this area for Saxony-Anhalt."

Thomas Vetter, CEO of Vetter Verkehrsbetriebe: “Our goal is to make mobility available to everyone—day and night. With Bliq, we deliberately chose a young, dynamic company with a high level of technological expertise that perfectly aligns with this goal.”

Robert Kamischke, CEO of MoPla Solutions: “Through this partnership, we are consistently advancing the development of our MoPla platform so that autonomous driving can be offered not only in Anhalt-Bitterfeld but, in the future, throughout Germany and beyond.”

Julian Glaab, CEO of Bliq: “Our vision is a world in which every car can drive autonomously and safely. To achieve this, we are consistently focusing on vehicle technology that works scalably across vehicle platforms—not just for individual robotaxi fleets. The U.S. and China are already demonstrating that autonomous driving is a reality. We want to take a leading role in Europe and are systematically expanding our operations here. With MoPla, we have found a platform partner operating throughout Germany, and with Vetter GmbH, a major public transit and on-demand provider capable of organizing complex fleets."

Prof. Dr. Jörg Bagdahn, President of Anhalt University of Applied Sciences: “In some major cities, particularly in the U.S. and China, autonomous driving is already the norm, and pilot projects are set to begin in Germany soon as well. So far, however, there have been no projects that specifically tailor the potential of autonomous driving to the requirements and mobility needs of rural areas. We at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences are pleased to support the project with our scientific expertise.”

Contact: Marcus Gleau, Autonomous Driving Project Manager, MoPla Solutions/Vetter Verkehrsbetriebe

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