Mr Ruhl, do you see automated mobility as an opportunity or a risk for AMAG?
Autonomous driving is first and foremost a major change and fundamentally different from traditional mobility as we know it. But our products have also evolved continuously over the years and have become much more sustainable due to electromobility. It is also important to remember that semi-autonomous systems have already made traffic significantly safer in the past, with serious accidents decreasing by 80 per cent in the last 50 years. Fully automated systems mean the vision of accident-free driving is now within reach. In addition, the use of autonomous systems in passenger transport is blurring the line between public and private transport. We see a number of new opportunities for the future here.
What customer needs can be met with automated mobility?
Above all, there will be cost benefits for customers when driverless autonomous systems are actually on the road. This reduces the costs per passenger kilometre by around 50 percent, which would make fully autonomous driving cheaper than using public transport or travelling by car. And compared to today’s line-based public transport, autonomous vehicles will enable ridepooling business models in which people are picked up from wherever they are. The advantage is that getting around would be cheaper and even more convenient than it is today. In any case, automated mobility should be integrated into the existing mobility offer.
When will it be possible to scale the technology and these business models?
Pilot tests are underway in California and now also in Europe in more challenging weather conditions. For example, at VW MOIA in Hamburg or with Holo in Oslo, a company in which we also have investments. These places have similar weather conditions to Switzerland. In both projects, it is planned that vehicles which do not require a driver will be on the road from 2026, which is not so far in the future. I therefore assume that autonomous vehicles that circulate within a specific operating area will also be implemented in Switzerland this decade. However, Level 5, or what is generally regarded as autonomous driving, i.e. getting into the car and driving anywhere, is certainly not something we will see this decade.
Why is AMAG involved with SAAM?
Automated driving is a mega issue and will definitely become reality. That’s why we want to learn as much as possible about it and have also invested in Holo. For automated driving, legal regulation will be a decisive factor in determining which business models will be possible. We are happy to contribute our practical experience in this area. However, it is also important for us to better understand the considerations of regulators and to stay informed about developments in terms of social acceptance. All these topics are coordinated via SAAM, which is why we are part of the organisation.
“The AMAG Group wants to be up to date and be aware of how social acceptance is developing. All of this is coordinated via SAAM.”
We can provide input, but we are also keen to learn: how Switzerland envisages autonomous mobility, for example, or whether there will be further added value for customers. In any case, we hope the regulatory framework will create conditions that will enable autonomous driving to also develop in Switzerland.
Since March 2021, Helmut Ruhl, a German national who grew up in Franconia, has been CEO of the AMAG Group, where he had been CFO since 2017. The successful mobility manager regards mobility automation as a fundamental paradigm shift, one that above all brings cost benefits for customers.
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