According to Reuters, a subsidiary of German auto parts supplier Benteler Group, HOLON, has applied to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for an exemption from federal motor vehicle safety standards. HOLON is seeking NHTSA's approval to deploy up to 2,500 autonomous electric buses annually in the U.S. These buses lack pedals, manual turn signals, rearview mirrors, and other features required for human control.
HOLON stated that its autonomous driving system for the electric buses was developed in collaboration with Mobileye. In September, HOLON announced plans to assemble 5,000 vehicles per year at a 500,000-square-foot plant in Jacksonville, Florida, set for completion in 2026.
The NHTSA said it would open a public comment period on HOLON's request before early January. Given the upcoming inauguration of the next U.S. president, Donald Trump, the request is unlikely to be finalized before the transition, though it could offer insights into the new administration's stance on autonomous vehicles.
HOLON is not the first company to apply to NHTSA for permission to deploy autonomous vehicles. However, in recent years, NHTSA has approached autonomous vehicle deployments cautiously.
In 2022, General Motors requested permission from NHTSA to deploy up to 2,500 of its Origin autonomous vehicles annually without human control features like brake pedals or mirrors. However, NHTSA took no action on this request.
In July this year, GM's autonomous subsidiary Cruise announced it would abandon plans to deploy the Origin autonomous vehicles without steering wheels. Last year, Ford also withdrew a similar application.
Instead, GM decided to use a modified next-generation Bolt EV as the platform for its Cruise autonomous taxi fleet, a move that does not require NHTSA approval.
It is worth noting that after three years of discussions, NHTSA did grant approval in February 2020 to American robotics company Nuro to deploy up to 5,000 low-speed autonomous electric delivery vehicles.
