A milestone for automated city logistics – in Switzerland and Europe

Our highly automated Mathilde delivery vehicle has been in operation in Bern since autumn 2024. The ‘Planzer – Dynamic Micro-Hub with LOXO’ project is now entering the next phase of development: Mathilde will now travel on public roads in Bern’s urban area without a driver behind the wheel. Together, Planzer and LOXO are reaching an important milestone for automated goods mobility in Switzerland and Europe. Monitoring is carried out remotely. In addition, a safety passenger continues to sit in the passenger seat, which serves as a fall-back measure. The basis for this step is the approval from the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) for the defined area of use in Bern.

From pilot operation towards use in regular operations

Mathilde is part of the ‘Dynamic Micro-Hub’ concept. The vehicle connects the Planzer rail centre at Bern’s goods station with several transfer points close to the city centre, where standardised exchange boxes are transferred efficiently. Our delivery drivers then take over the parcels and deliver them the last mile to Bern city centre in their small delivery vehicles. This allows transport to be bundled, idle times to be reduced and inner-city journeys to be minimised in a targeted manner.

The project shows that automated vehicles not only function on a technological level – they can also be meaningfully integrated into existing logistics processes and regular operations in the future.

Pioneering Swiss work with relevance for Europe

While driverless vehicles are already more visible in other parts of the world, Europe is consciously pursuing a step-by-step and safety-oriented approach: regulating, validating, securing – and then scaling. This is exactly where the Planzer and LOXO project comes in. Over the past few months, Mathilde has been tested in real-life operations – in complex traffic situations, variable weather conditions and interaction with existing logistics processes. The fact that no one has to sit behind the wheel is the result of this continuous performance test and shows the potential for the future.

The NZZ has also reported on this development step and assessed the importance of the project for automated mobility in Switzerland and Europe.

Level 1: Assisted
At Level 1, driver-assistance systems support either the longitudinal or lateral control of the vehicle, for example when braking, accelerating or steering. However, responsibility always remains with the driver, who must constantly monitor the system.

Level 2: Partially automated
At Level 2, the vehicle can take over both longitudinal and lateral control at the same time. The driver remains responsible, and must constantly monitor traffic and be ready to intervene at any time.

Level 3: Conditional automation
At Level 3, the vehicle takes over all driving tasks within defined operating areas, for example on motorways. The driver may temporarily engage in other activities, but must be ready at all times to take control again if required.

Level 4: Highly automated
At Level 4, the vehicle drives independently within a defined area of application and manages even complex traffic situations independently. Human intervention is not absolutely necessary, even in an emergency, as the system is capable of restoring a safe state on its own.

Level 5: Fully automated
At Level 5, the vehicle takes over all driving tasks completely autonomously. A human driver is no longer required.