Planzer and LOXO roll out urban pilot for autonomous vehicles in Switzerland

Planzer, a Swiss logistics company, is partnering with autonomous technology start-up LOXO to roll out their first joint project. The “Planzer – Dynamic Micro Hub with LOXO” project launched today in Bern, Switzerland. Using their combined logistics and technology expertise, the two Swiss firms said they aim to take urban logistics to a new level in their country.

As more and more cities strive for sustainable transport systems, highly automated Level 4 driving is on the rise, globally and in Switzerland. The country’s new Automated Vehicles (AV) Act 1 is expected to take effect in early 2025. Planzer and LOXO said the new law will bring huge opportunities for freight mobility and last-mile parcel delivery.

The companies said they are collaborating to exploit this potential, create value, and meet the increasing demands on urban supply chains. At the center of the project is “Mathilde,” a Volkswagen ID Buzz cargo van.

The companies equipped Mathilde with LOXO’s Digital Driver navigation software and two interchangeable box chassis. KYBURZ and Planzer designed the chassis specially for this application. 

“With this pilot project, LOXO and Planzer as innovation partners aim to lay the foundations for sustainable, data-driven city logistics that make urban supply chains more efficient and eco-friendly,” stated Nils Planzer, CEO of Planzer. 

The other partners involved in the project include the city of Bern, Bozzio AG, Bosch AG, SwissMoves, Noviv Mobility AG, and SAAM.

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LOXO, Planzer to send Mathilde around Bern

During the two-year pilot phase, Mathilde will navigate several times a day from the Planzer railway center on Murtenstrasse to 14 strategic transfer points for last-mile distribution. The company and LOXO spread these points throughout the city of Bern region.

An approved 41.6 mi. (67 km) route network connects these points, parts of which feature the most challenging traffic situations, such as lots of bikes and pedestrians.

This is where the two interchangeable box chassis containing parcels will be transferred to small electric vehicles and delivered to end customers by Planzer Parcel drivers. After successfully completing the pilot phase, Planzer and LOXO plan to develop their own service with eight interchangeable box chassis and roll it out in other Swiss cities.

The partners described the pilot project as a launch pad for data and dynamics-driven urban city logistics. In addition, with near-zero-emission delivery, it contributes to greater sustainability for cities as a living space, they said.

By integrating the LOXO Digital Driver, LOXO aims to validate the AI-based Level 4 technology on an urban scale in Swiss cities. The company said its software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering can be installed in almost any drive-by-wire vehicle.

Developed specifically for the commercial vehicle sector, the Digital Driver uses virtual mapping to increase its scalability, ensuring that operations continue to run quickly and cost-effectively, said LOXO.

“We’re confident that this partnership will not only expand Planzer’s business, but that the technology can also become the standard for an even more efficient last mile,” noted Amin Amini, CEO of LOXO.