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New MVG minibuses in Munich-Hadern: Free test rides start in autumn
The vehicles are designed for about ten passengers each; in a formation of three units, capacity rises to around 30. The rationale for their deployment is pragmatic. Large articulated buses are often oversized in densely built residential areas—both in terms of passenger numbers and maneuverability on narrow streets. Smaller, electrically powered "minis" promise more flexible headways and the ability to serve specific sections of a route: when demand is high, multiple vehicles couple together; at junctions, they separate again and serve different destinations. MVG calls the concept "coupling" and "splitting" and is simultaneously testing range, operability, and passenger acceptance.
Trial operations where the network is less dense
The minibuses run on the section between Waldfriedhof and Großhaderner Straße, supplementing the regular line 167. During the test period, scheduled from mid-September to the end of October, rides are free—an offer intended to lower the barrier to entry and generate ample user feedback. For the city, the Mobility Department has provided financial support for the trial from city council funds.
The vehicles are electric, accessible, and sized so that wheelchairs or strollers can ride along. A model was chosen that is particularly suited to narrow streets and periods of lower demand; it is still operating with drivers for now, with a later phase envisaging autonomous shuttles. MVG emphasizes that this is initially a trial — the insights gained are to be incorporated into concepts for possible on-demand or supplementary routes.
All-electric field trial
For passengers, this may initially feel like a pleasant extra — for transport planners, it is a field trial that must deliver answers. Are the ranges and capacities sufficient, can merging into and out of regular traffic be organized safely and punctually, and how well accepted will a shared service be that conceptually sits between bus, dial-a-bus and micro-shuttle? MVG is collecting impressions and technical data, and policymakers will subsequently decide on the next stage of expansion.
Ultimately, Hadern is only the first testing ground for an issue that concerns many transit agencies. How established networks can be complemented by more flexible, more local offerings without complicating the overall service or losing sight of cost-effectiveness. The trial runs now provide a real-world picture of whether minibuses are more than an interim step on the way to autonomous vehicles — and whether they prove themselves where a full-size bus would be too much and a taxi too expensive.
For those who want to ride: During the trial period, trips on route E167 in Hadern are free; details, timetables and stops are listed on the MVG website.
What does this mean for taxis?
MVG’s pilot operation with electric minibuses is likely to affect Munich’s taxi industry only at the margins. Because the shuttles in Hadern primarily run as a supplement to an existing bus line, they do not replace traditional taxi rides, which are usually spontaneous, individual and often involve luggage or specific destinations. Nevertheless, the project signals that public transit is increasingly looking for flexible, small-scale solutions. For the taxi industry, that could mean in the medium term that it needs to position itself more strongly through service quality, reliability and digital booking options, so as not to lose ground on short, inner-city trips.
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