Digital, trends, science and research

The digitization of the taxi trade is moving into the next phase: Taxi.de and Bliq.ai want to connect automated driving features with the infrastructure of established taxi and car rental companies. The idea behind it: new technology should strengthen local operators, rather than displacing them through new platforms.

Whoever wants to found a taxi or rental car company must pass the professional knowledge examination in German. A learning platform from Cologne therefore conveys the content in six languages in parallel and takes the German technical terms into account.

Selected Hamburg taxis will in the future collect street information with cameras on the windshield. The data obtained are intended to improve map data for taxi traffic. Previously, the procedure was tested in London and Barcelona.

Modern electric cars are already rolling computers. A Norwegian longitudinal study now raises questions about the data traffic of Chinese vehicles. This makes a topic all the more important for taxi, rental car and fleet operators, one that has largely been in the background until now: Who actually has access to the data from a connected vehicle?

How can taxi fares be made digitally available and taxi stands be found more easily? During the NRW.MOBIDROM GmbH's open house day, the VSPV discussed with authorities, municipalities and mobility service providers about data provision, digital infrastructure and the future of mobility-related information in NRW..

If you have listened to Elon Musk over the past ten years, you know the pattern. Almost every year the Tesla chief announced the breakthrough in autonomous driving. Almost every year the timeline shifted. For many observers, the robotaxi developed into perhaps the most well-known future promise of the automotive industry – and at the same time one of its most persistent long-running projects.

According to HALE, the legally required verification of the driver's license can be fully digitally integrated into existing operational processes.

(dpa) After the upheaval caused by electric mobility, the industry faces the next technological shift. Saxony sees opportunities for industry, research and public transport.

(dpa/tk) The demand for electric cars is picking up again. That gives the carmaker Tesla a tailwind for its production plans. Now the complete value chain – from the battery to the finished vehicle – is to be consolidated in Grünheide.

The discussion about Uber, Bolt, Lieferando and other platform companies was long dominated by a simple narrative. Here the digital future, there the regulated industries. Here innovation, there bureaucracy. But while politics and the public for years had mainly focused on questions of market access, the return-to-work obligation, or bogus self-employment, a different aspect is now coming into focus: the power of algorithms.

With driving demonstrations and new AI methods, the consortium presents solutions to some of the most challenging challenges of automated mobility.

A nationwide data standard enables the integration of taxi and rental car rides into intermodal travel chains. Digital patient transports and control-center dispatchers will also benefit.

(dpa) Two vehicles got stuck in floodwaters in Atlanta and San Antonio. The provider, according to its own statements, is working on software adjustments and is also pausing highway driving in several U.S. cities.

With a NeTEx-compliant data standard, the Taxi and Rental Car Association integrates taxi and rental-car data into existing information platforms and relies on cooperation with transport associations and system providers.

More digital visibility for taxi companies – with the launch of the new Taxi.de App, Taxi.de brings a new digital infrastructure for the industry to the market. The aim is to strengthen direct customer loyalty and enable repeat orders without a commission-based platform logic.

The automotive industry knows no breathing space. Not even for a manufacturer like Tesla, which for a long time was regarded as the pace-setter of electric mobility. In Grünheide near Berlin, it is currently becoming evident how strongly the usual market mechanisms also take hold there—and how differently they are communicated.

Fifteen years after the launch of a seemingly inconspicuous application: what began in 2011 under the name mytaxi has today become part of everyday life in Munich as Freenow. An assessment of the company shows how closely the business is intertwined with the city—and where the development did not proceed without tensions.

Three integration levels, clear interfaces and a nationwide adapter: The new data standard is intended to make taxi and rental-car services digitally visible and bookable. Version 1.0 is still planned for 2026.

With the start of pre-series production in Hannover, the Roboshuttle project reaches a new phase. The vehicles are part of an integrated solution for autonomous mobility services in cities.

After ten weeks, 520520 Leipzig Taxi e.K. reports 10,000 orders via the AI assistant Toby. Taxi.de highlights the fully digitized order intake for the first time.

In a coastal town like Glückstadt, one quickly thinks of fish sandwiches and harbor air. But at the „Glückstädter Kreis“ for years the issue has been tangible questions: How can the taxi stay economically viable, visible – and, above all, relevant?

The manufacturer is grappling with weak demand, high costs and tense market conditions. New models and cost-cutting measures are expected to counteract this, but a recovery is not expected until several years from now.

How taxi dispatch centers can retain customers and drivers is the focus of a free webinar series starting February 2026.

Pilot projects in several neighborhoods should show how autonomous vehicles can cover the first and last mile in urban traffic.

Electric cars are seen as a symbol of technological progress: quiet, connected, efficient. But precisely this connectivity is increasingly bringing them into the focus of security authorities. In Poland, the Ministry of Defence is now reacting—and has imposed the first driving and parking bans on vehicles from Chinese manufacturers.

Insured individuals can plan and book authorization-required medical transports for the first time via smartphone. The pilot phase lasts six months.

(ots/dpa) The German Institute for Service Quality and the news channel ntv have awarded the German App Award 2026. Apps that consumers particularly value were honored. A survey with 23,297 customer ratings determined the winners in 48 categories – and the Taxi Deutschland App was able to convince. But the Uber app was also awarded.

(dpa/tmn) The flood of new brands and models will not stop in 2026 either. Topic No. 1 remains electric mobility, but there will also be new internal-combustion engines and a few technology trends beyond the drivetrain.

With the smartphone – and in the course of this the availability of location determination and fast data connections – soon also the mobility and taxi apps emerged, which fundamentally changed taxi bookings: Instead of searching for a number, making a call and waiting on hold, today a few taps with the finger are enough and the car is already on the way. But the offerings differ clearly – from classic taxis through rental-car models to combined solutions for business customers. The following article provides an overview of the most important ride-hailing and taxi apps in Germany and shows which app with which offering is suitable for which need and which pros and cons come into play.

Unauthorized Messenger usage, permanent video surveillance and continuous tracking are increasingly putting taxi companies in conflict with the GDPR. Recent rulings and regulatory proceedings show where the risks lie and which measures are now necessary.

With the nationwide launch of the app, Freenow by Lyft is expanding its presence in the German taxi market. From now on, taxi companies and drivers in all districts can register. The app is intended to simplify operations, broker new bookings, and thus strengthen a business that is simultaneously under cost pressure and experiencing changing mobility habits.

The dispute over Uber drivers' pay is intensifying. In the United Kingdom and several European countries, drivers want to sue Uber over unfair, algorithmically determined pay and are seeking compensation for lost earnings and for a breach of data protection.

Even in Lisbon, two systems collide with each other, though they share the same street space and operate under completely different conditions. The traditional taxi industry and platform providers such as Uber, Bolt or FreeNow have been in a strained relationship for years. Competition is fierce, and the market is changing faster than policymakers can respond.

2026 could be a year for Tesla in which it is decided whether ambitious announcements will translate into a viable business model. Investors have been cautious for months, but the group around Elon Musk promises a restart—carried chiefly by a project that has long since become the core of its future narrative: the Robotaxi.

Farewell to paper clutter. The mobility provider Freenow has announced an integration with SAP Concur Expense, a software for travel expense management. Going forward, receipts for taxi rides will be automatically and digitally transmitted to the billing system – completely without paper and post-processing.

With the BumbleB project, Bertrandt aims to show how autonomous vehicles can ease the burden on rural public transport. The company relies on open-source technologies and works with municipalities on real-world deployment scenarios.

NovaHub and HeyNova are supposed to make planning school and medical transports easier. The new partnership between the Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars and Stadt.Land.Netz focuses on practical digitization in passenger transport.

The open cloud platform from PACE Telematics enables oil companies, gas stations, and vehicle manufacturers to integrate payment solutions directly into the vehicle or into apps – regardless of provider or system.

As part of the research project MINGA, SWM and MVG, together with partners, are testing automated shuttles. The test in the Gern/Nymphenburg district provides data on technology, maintenance and user behavior and is intended to create a guide for future deployment in local public transport.

The Kempten Taxi Dispatch Center is partnering with Freenow by Lyft with immediate effect. This will enable passengers in the Allgäu to order a taxi, pay for it, and track it via the Freenow app.

The Vienna taxi dispatch center Taxi 40100 wants to shake up the public image of how to order a taxi a little. Since the beginning of the year, rides can be booked not only by phone or via the app, but also directly via WhatsApp.

The taxi and rental-car industry is investing in climate-friendly drivetrains – but a lack of planning certainty endangers progress. The association calls on the federal government to set binding guidelines and a reliable funding and tax policy.

Bolt, the platform operator for rental car and ride-hailing services, is renewing the fleet of its car-sharing service Bolt Drive in Germany. By the end of October, 400 vehicles are to be put into service gradually—350 Toyota Yaris and 50 Toyota Yaris Cross. All cars are equipped with hybrid powertrains and will be leased to Bolt for two years through the Toyota mobility provider KINTO.

Reports have been circulating in Frankfurt’s taxi industry for several weeks, causing unease. It is said that Frankfurt’s long-established taxi dispatch center has been sold or is on the verge of a cooperation with Uber. Now Taxi Frankfurt eG, the cooperative behind the dispatch center, has responded with a correction. “The dispatch center has not been sold,” it says in a statement that went out to drivers and the public. The board likewise firmly rejects the allegation that there are already contracts with Uber or other platforms.

The family-owned company with 45 years of experience is expanding its offering to include digital channels. In addition to the classic telephone service, customers now have access to contactless payments and invoiced rides.

sei mobil Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH, a company of the NETINERA Group, will henceforth base its planning on a new digital foundation. With the NOVAhub software solution from the developer Stadt.Land.Netz (SLN), school and passenger transport are to be organized more efficiently.

Users in Dortmund can now choose between fixed-price hire cars and taxi rides. At launch there are discounts, while Bolt plans to integrate additional mobility options such as e-scooters and car sharing over the long term.

The new platform brings together regional demand-responsive transport services such as Anrufbus Unterland, YOYO in the Upper Rhine Valley, and the shared taxi in Montafon. A pilot project extends operating hours and introduces digital booking and payment via app.

Uber is expanding its offering and entering the pharmacy market. Effective immediately, users can use the Uber Eats app to order not only pizza or sushi, but also over-the-counter health and personal care products.

The annual think tank of the Taxi and Rental Car Association develops strategies, studies, and pilot projects on current industry topics. The format is intended to serve as an early warning system for market changes in passenger transport.

Taxi.de introduces a new technology into daily taxi operations with a voice-controlled telephone assistant. Initial experiences show: The artificial voice can do more than just listen.

Deutsche Bahn is serious about digitization: For rail customers, this means a fully digital voucher system starting in 2026. Taxi companies and billing centers will also benefit from more efficient processes and simplified handling.

The new partnership paves the way for contactless booking and payment of taxis. Traditional taxi companies are also moving more into focus through digital platforms.

The new generation of Connectel's voice-controlled taxibot is designed to enable bookings via natural language, thus alleviating call centers. Taxi companies could thereby handle more calls automatically, especially during peak times.

Less paperwork, less effort: A new billing service is set to reduce administrative work for taxi and rental car companies in Bavaria – including health insurance communication and support.

(dpa) The planned app by BVG and Hochbahn allows users to freely combine transport options – including taxis. The modular interface is intended to bundle travel requests and simplify access to on-demand services.

Regensburg's taxi companies are going digital: Through cooperation with FREENOW, passengers can book and pay for taxis more easily. This strengthens the economic location and secures the future of the taxi industry.

Anyone in the region between Karlsruhe, Rastatt, and Baden-Baden who needs a taxi will no longer require an app or a hotline for that. A simple WhatsApp text is sufficient. Holl AG is expanding its offering and now provides its passengers the ability to book taxis directly through the messaging service. This is made possible by a digital chatbot developed by the provider taxibooker.com.

How can AI, data protection, and cybersecurity be safely regulated in cars? The new position paper from the TÜV Association provides concrete recommendations for lawmakers and industry – from the digital vehicle record to the testing of learning systems.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is known for ambitious visions. One of them: Tesla owners could rent out their vehicles as autonomous taxis in the future, thus earning a lucrative side income. However, this idea will not withstand reality.