After its début in Hanover eighteen months ago, the innovative ride pooling service is now also operational in Hamburg, where it has met with great success.
Shared, customised and flexible: three words that describe the mobility of the near future, of which people can have a taste right now. An example? MOIA, the Volkswagen Group’s ride pooling service, operational in Hanover for a year and a half, and now in Hamburg for the last few months, as scheduled. The success of the service was immediate, with around 15,000 bookings in the first ten days – the most extensive demand recorded to date.
Overcoming obstaclesEvery new road has obstacles to overcome: a taxi driver tried to stop the launch of MOIA by filing a complaint – then rejected - with the Administrative Court of Hamburg. The Authority has, however, set a limit to the number of vehicles destined to the ride pooling service: 200. MOIA decided to appeal to the next higher authority, since they are convinced that reliability, service quality, functionality, pooling ratio and the consequent relief effects for traffic will only increase as the fleet grows. |
A shared, yet personal spaceWhile the final decision is pending, MOIA‘s fleet of vehicles will therefore remain set at 200, but the growth goal remains unchanged, and it is based on the MOIA +6. This name has nothing to do with the engine or performance, but rather reflects the vehicle’s welcoming environment. The goal has been, from the beginning, to create a shared shuttle without sacrificing the comfort for each individual passenger. “6” therefore stands for the number of passengers that MOIA can host, while “+” indicates that each of them has plenty of space on board: they can get in and out without bending over, and reach their seat without disturbing the other passengers. |
Quiet and sustainable
On a technical level, the MOIA +6 is based on the Volkswagen e-Crafter, but right from the beginning it has been developed in a collaborative manner, taking into account the desires and requirements of both the passengers and drivers. What can’t be seen from the outside, however, is MOIA +6’s most important feature – the electric drive, which makes it both silent and emission-free, given that the entire fleet is powered by energy from renewable sources. The range of over 300 kilometres is sufficient to cover an entire day’s operation, and the battery can be charged up to 80% in just half an hour.
Space and comfort for allGetting on board is easy for everyone, thanks to the doors opening automatically and to different boarding aids that enable even the elderly to access the vehicle safely. For the youngest passengers, on the other hand, child seats are always present on board. In addition to this, to the right of the boarding area is a storage area for luggage, shopping bags, foldable wheelchairs and pushchairs. The environment is designed to provide privacy, while at the same time allowing passengers to socialise depending on their mood; they can also make use of the fast, free Wi-Fi. The high level of comfort is further increased by spotlights, individual USB charging ports, a large screen that displays the vehicle’s route in real time, the high-quality floor coverings and the diffuse LED internal lighting. |
The beauty of sharing
Whether you are on foot, on a bike or in a car, fighting the city traffic is a stressful experience, a face-off against the complaints and will of others. In this, an intersection is almost a symbol of our society: different cultures, habits and characters, which often end up clashing. But at the end of the day, everyone wants to reach their goal as stress-free as possible. And this is precisely the spirit behind MOIA: it doesn’t matter where you come from, but where you are going, sharing the journey to get there.
Source: MOIA
