Autonomous Systems assigns “Smartbus Ready” status for the BERNMOBIL depot "Eigerplatz" in Switzerland's first depot autonomy readiness assessment - and the first for a multi-storey bus depot
Bern
– Autonomous Systems today announced that the Eigerplatz depot of BERNMOBIL has been confirmed “Smartbus Ready” following a structured Depot Autonomy Readiness Assessment for autonomous depot manoeuvres - the operation of smartbuses (autonomous vehicles navigating and parking inside the depot without a driver on board).
Eigerplatz is BERNMOBIL’s main operating base in central Bern, operating as a fully enclosed, multi-storey depot with parking on two levels. The assessment describes manoeuvres at Eigerplatz as among the most demanding in European depot operations of comparable size, with routine reverse parking for 12 m and 18 m buses.
“Eigerplatz is one of the most operationally demanding depots in our network - tight bays, multi-storey movements, and routine reverse parking are some of the challenges of this depot, whose layout has been modified time and again over more than 100 years of operation,” said Bernhard Riegel, Project Manager at BERNMOBIL. “This readiness assessment shows us the potential an autonomous operation could offer even to this complex depot.”
Estimated potential for cost savings
Autonomous Systems calculated a modelled payback of ~4.9 years and 89% ROI over 12 years based on a 12-year vehicle lifecycle and an illustrative fleet of 100 buses operating at the depot and the following assumptions:
- 10-15 minutes of driver time recovered per bus per day through automated depot parking and manoeuvres
- ~9,125 driver hours recovered per year (more than 5 FTE) in the “difficult scenario” reflecting daily reverse-parking and peak-hour conditions
BERNMOBIL rates the estimated potential for cost savings as a relevant input for future long-term TCO analyses of the bus fleet.
“Autonomy becomes real when it delivers measurable operational value, every day,” said Jan Gramatyka, Co-CEO, Autonomous Systems. “Depots are the practical starting point - low speeds, controlled space, and immediate ROI. Eigerplatz is a high-complexity site, which is exactly why the payoff can be so significant.”
Why depot autonomy, why now
Because Eigerplatz is private property, the assessment notes that autonomous manoeuvres within the facility do not require public-road homologation, provided defined operational boundaries, safety measures, and contingency procedures are in place. The assessment also flags that access to the upper floor involves a short stretch of public road, meaning initial deployments can focus on operations within the private depot boundary while a broader scope is evaluated.
Beyond productivity, the assessment highlights strategic safety value for battery-electric operations: predefined autonomous repositioning routines can support emergency response by moving vehicles away from a fire-affected area without requiring staff to enter a hazardous zone.
Recommended deployment path
The assessment proposes a staged rollout:
- Preparation - 3D mapping, operational boundaries, pedestrian management procedures for the public corridor through the building, and peak-hour throughput modelling
- Technical validation - initial ground-floor deployment focused on inbound parking and positioning for charging
- Operational validation and expansion - extend manoeuvres (car wash passage, service-bay positioning, overnight shunting) and expand scope following successful validation