🚲 Mobility

VBZ «Self-e» Automated Shuttle Trial

Zurich's municipal operator VBZ ran an 11-seat self-driving electric shuttle, Self-e, for two weeks in February 2018: a closed 1.3 km loop with five stops inside its Altstetten depot, capped at 12 km/h, an attendant aboard. Over 500 staff rode it. VBZ borrowed the vehicle from the Swiss Transit Lab and still calls automated driving exploratory.

Completed 📅 2018 ✔ Editor-reviewed

✔ Reviewed by the 1001 Smart Cities editorial desk · 🔎 Last verified 2026-07-29

🚲 Mobility Autonomous vehicles Public transport

📊 Impact

Over 500 VBZ employees and external partners rode the 11-seat shuttle during the trial; about 200 people joined the accompanying workshops (VBZ, 2018).

Evidence🏛️ Official

Scale🧪 Pilot

📖 Terms in this entry: Personal rapid transit (PRT) · Bus rapid transit (BRT) · Congestion pricing

Sources

↗ VBZ media release: Mobilität der Zukunft – Testbetrieb automatisiertes FahrenOperator announcement: 9–23 Feb 2018, cordoned-off Altstetten site, 1.3 km, five stops, trained attendant aboard, staff-only riding.

↗ VBZ: Mit «Self-e» die Mobilität der Zukunft erfahrenOperator detail: 1,300 m test route, up to 11 passengers, programmed maximum 12 km/h, vehicle borrowed from the Swiss Transit Lab / AMoTech.

↗ VBZ: «Self-e» bewegte während gut zwei Wochen die VBZOperator wrap-up (2 Mar 2018): over 500 VBZ employees and external partners rode; ~200 people joined accompanying workshops.

↗ VBZ: Autonomes FahrenCurrent operator page: Self-e described as a first hands-on approach; technical, regulatory and acceptance questions still open.

↗ NZZ: VBZ testen autonomen BusIndependent national press coverage of the trial (paywalled).

Continue exploring

Compare this project

🇸🇪 Autopiloten: Nobina's Driverless Bus Pilot, Kista to Barkarbystaden · Stockholm Contrast in outcome: Stockholm's driverless shuttle became a real 5-year bus line; Zurich's 2018 trial never left its depot yard. 🇰🇷 Osiria Autonomous Bus and the Night BRT Line · Busan Contrast: Busan's shuttle pilot converted into a fare-paying public service; Zurich's stayed a two-week, staff-only depot trial. 🇨🇭 Zurich Transit Signal Priority (ÖV-Beschleunigung) · Zürich Another verified project from Zürich.

Explore the wider context

🔑 Your Smart City Is Owned by Someone Else 🚗 Autonomous vehicles guide 🏙️ Zürich city profile 🚲 Mobility projects

📎 Cite this project

1001 Smart Cities (2026). “VBZ «Self-e» Automated Shuttle Trial” — Zürich, Switzerland. The Smart City Atlas. https://1001smartcities.org/projects/zurich-autonomous-shuttle/ (last verified 2026-07-29). Data: CC BY 4.0.

The underlying data is free to reuse with attribution — see the open data page.

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