In use from 2027 Postbus brings self-driving vehicles to Switzerland
PostBus is taking a big step towards the mobility of the future. From 2027, self-driving vehicles will be in regular service for the first time in Eastern Switzerland. The first test drives will begin as early as the end of 2025.
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- PostBus is planning a regular service with automated electric vehicles from 2027.
- The first test drives will start in December 2025 in Eastern Switzerland - still with safety drivers.
- The "AmiGo" project is supported by the federal government, the cantons, the TCS and Chinese partner Apollo Go.
What previously sounded like a dream of the future will soon become reality: PostBus is bringing automated driving to the roads of Eastern Switzerland. Under the name "AmiGo", the company is launching a pilot project that is set to become part of public transport in the future. The electrically powered minibuses offer space for up to four people and can be booked on demand via an app - without any fixed routes or timetables.
According to the company, the first vehicles are set to go on mapping trips as early as December 2025. Safety drivers are still at the wheel to collect data and test the system. The first journeys with selected users will follow in the course of 2026. Once all safety requirements have been met, the shuttles will operate fully autonomously in 2027.
A total of up to 25 vehicles are planned - this would be the largest range of automated vehicles in Europe to date. The test operation is being developed in close cooperation with the cantons of St. Gallen, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Thurgau, the Federal Office of Transport (FOT), the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) and the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS).
Cooperation with Chinese company
"We are bringing the mobility of the future to Eastern Switzerland - flexible, digital and tailored to the needs of our customers," says Stefan Regli, Head of Mobility Services at Swiss Post, in the press release. The aim is to provide a service that closes gaps in the current route network, for example at off-peak times or in less developed regions.
FEDRO Director Jürg Röthlisberger also sees the project as an important milestone: "Automated driving is no longer a vision, but a reality in the making. Pilot projects such as 'AmiGo' show how Switzerland is using new technologies responsibly."
In terms of technology, PostBus is relying on its Chinese partner company Apollo Go. The company already operates over a thousand automated vehicles worldwide and is now bringing this experience to Europe for the first time.
The vehicles will be fully electric and have an intelligent system that combines journeys when several passengers have similar destinations - known as ride pooling. In this way, PostBus aims to make the service more efficient and sustainable.
