Madrid has welcomed Spain's first autonomous and on-demand bus, which is now operating regularly with passengers at Mercamadrid. This circular route aims to provide an advanced mobility solution for the logistics hub's workers and visitors.
The project, a result of the European initiative MobilitiesForEU led by the Madrid City Council through its Digital Office and Mercamadrid, involves the collaboration of Alsa. The vehicle, developed after two years of research, is 100% electric, can carry over 30 passengers, and is equipped with cutting-edge technologies in autonomous driving, 5G connectivity, and infrastructure interaction.
This bus operates at an autonomous driving level of 4+ with an onboard operator. In the coming months, remote control from an external control post will be advanced, and later, the possibility of reaching level 5 full autonomy will be studied. The development included market research and customer experience studies.
The operation is internationally pioneering as it is the first on-demand, autonomous bus operating regularly and permanently in a real, publicly accessible environment. Users can request the service via a mobile app during off-peak hours, coordinating with EMT Madrid's existing routes.
Mercamadrid, Spain's largest logistics and supply platform, employing 9,000 people and serving 15,000 vehicles and 20,000 people daily, benefits from this mobility solution.
During peak hours (4:30 AM to 9:00 AM), the bus will run on a fixed schedule. Subsequently, from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM, it will handle on-demand requests. Users must scan a QR code at the stops and use the ‘Alsa Mobilities’ app to specify their origin, destination, and desired travel time.
The project's novelty lies in the vehicle's larger capacity compared to previous autonomous shuttles, the complexity of traffic at Mercamadrid, and the integration of the on-demand transport feature, not yet deployed in other autonomous driving services.
The MobilitiesForEU initiative, funded by the Horizon Europe program, aims to analyze autonomous, connected, and zero-emission mobility technologies through real-world demonstrators, positioning Madrid as a global leader in sustainable mobility and digitized public transport.
