Benteler builds its Holon Mover in the USA
The 45,000-square-metre plant is scheduled for completion in 2026. At the presentation of the plans in Jacksonville, Holon CEO Henning von Watzdorf said: “Today marks a significant milestone in the journey of our mover project. With openness and a supportive regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles, the U.S. offers an ideal environment for HOLON’s industrial initiatives and Jacksonville has demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm for our vision from the beginning, making the city a national leader in the deployment of autonomous transit. We are deeply grateful to our partners and team for their tireless passion and hard work, which have made—and will continue to make—our expansion into the U.S. a reality.”
However, the decision in favour of production in the USA does not mean that the Holon Mover will only be built there. Rather, the vehicle developed in Paderborn will also be built in Europe and, with the support of the new Saudi investor Tasaru Mobility Investments, also in Saudi Arabia.
But back to the plans for the USA: “After an initial ramp-up phase, HOLON anticipates creating up to 150 jobs by 2027. Our Jacksonville plant will produce approximately 5,000 autonomous movers annually, making them more accessible and quicker to the market worldwide,” said Petr Marijczuk, COO of Holon.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan is delighted that Holon is locating here. She said at the event: “Jacksonville is poised to be an industry leader in the technology behind AI-driven transportation. The addition of autonomous vehicle manufacturing is another big step towards that goal. It complements the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s innovative work in this space and the University of Florida’s downtown campus which will offer artificial intelligence degrees in the future. We welcome the jobs, expertise and global recognition that HOLON will bring to Jacksonville.”
Holon unveiled its first electric shuttle at the CES in Las Vegas in January 2023. The electric Holon Mover, designed by Pininfarina, is designed for up to 15 passengers. It travels automatically (level 4) at a maximum speed of 60 kph and has a range of around 290 kilometres.
Prototypes of the mover should be available this year. The first use in pilot projects is planned for early 2026. The mobility service is aimed at local authorities, private operators and institutions such as airports, universities, municipalities, healthcare facilities and national parks.
In Hamburg, Hochbahn and Moia are launching an initial pilot project with the Holon Mover next year, and passengers will be able to get on board in a test operation from 2026. And the Rhein-Main Verkehrsverbund (RMV) also wants to test the Holon Mover from 2026.
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