Revolution on Berlin's streets: Autonomous vehicles 2026 ready!

Revolution on Berlin's streets: Autonomous vehicles 2026 ready!

Berlin, Deutschland - The future of driving is just around the corner! On July 14, 2025, a lot happened in the European mobility landscape, because the requirements for autonomous vehicles are becoming increasingly strict. A German start-up, Motor AI, plans to bring completely autonomous vehicles to the streets in Berlin by 2026. The company recently collected $ 20 million through a financing round to realize this dream. Instead of developing new cars, Motor AI retro -folded existing vehicles to gain a foothold in the public transport sector. The goal: to offer on-demandöpnv services in both urban and rural areas.

With innovative AI technology, which is based on “active inference”, Motor AI is predicting the behavior of the environment, which facilitates the explanability for regulatory authorities. It is particularly exciting that the software is specially adapted for Mercedes Mini vans, which benefits the scaling and capacity. The tests in Berlin have already started with a security driver, and Motor AI is aiming for approval for the operation of "Level 4" autonomous vehicles. If this succeeds, Motor AI could be the first company that introduces completely autonomous vehicles in the EU.

regulations in focus

But the enthusiasm for autonomous vehicles is also in the context of current regulatory developments. The EU AI Act, whose requirements were updated in June 2025, aims to ensure the safety of autonomous vehicle systems and at the same time clarify the responsibility of the developers. These regulations apply to vehicles from autonomy level 3 and require stricter risk reviews and comprehensive documentation of all development steps. In the event of violations, fines of up to 30 million euros or 6 % of the global annual turnover threaten.

according to Twobirds.com are stopped to implement risk management systems and take over by a human driver to ensure at any time. The company of automotive engineers (SAE) defines the automation levels from 0 (no automation) to 5 (fully autonomous). Developers often aim at levels 3 and 4. However, the challenges lie in the complexity of the risk analyzes and the associated costs for certifications, which makes the whole thing a real challenge.

The race for the pioneering role

Despite these barriers, Motor Ai also has strong competition. Competitors such as Karsan and ZF Mobility Solutions as well as large German brands such as BMW and Mercedes are also in the race. The German government and the EU actively promote the introduction of autonomous electric vehicles to overcome social challenges. The new legislation is also intended to create a balance between risk management and innovation, which is crucial for the sustainable development of the automotive industry.

The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has already started examining pilot projects and carried out the first controls. It is also ensured that the German automobile manufacturers comply with EU requirements in their developments. In this increasingly regulated environment, Germany could take the opportunity to take on a leadership role in the development of safe autonomous driving systems by orienting itself to international standards and investing on security features.

In order to provide the necessary information, manufacturers should also develop their developers schools and emergency plans for potential callbacks or market bans. The path to fully automated driving is paved with requirements that not only challenge the industry, but can also strengthen their innovative strength.