HOLON, a leading manufacturer of autonomous, electric shuttles purpose-built to revolutionize shared mobility and sustainable transportation, is poised to transform the future of transportation with the launch of its first production plant for autonomous movers in Jacksonville. HOLON, a subsidiary of global automotive supplier BENTELER Group, will be Florida’s first automotive vehicle manufacturer.
The approximately 500,000-square-foot facility will be constructed in Jacksonville, with completion expected in 2026. The developer for the project is VanTrust Real Estate. The plant will be pivotal in advancing HOLON’s mission to deliver inclusive, emission-free and sustainable passenger transportation, addressing urban traffic challenges, climate change and demographic shifts.
Henning von Watzdorf, CEO of HOLON, 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.”
HOLON’s mover, a fully electric and autonomous vehicle (AV), is designed to excel in public road use by setting new benchmarks in safety, ride comfort and production quality. The mover is being developed in close collaboration with authorities to ensure it complies with relevant federal requirements, including Buy America and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), upon deployment. With a top speed of 37 mph and a capacity for up to 15 passengers, the mover is versatile enough for various applications, from on-demand services like ride pooling and ride hailing to regularly scheduled transit operations.
Prototypes of the mover will be available later this year, with the first vehicles set to be deployed in pilot projects by early 2026. Targeting municipalities, private operators, and institutions such as airports, campuses, planned communities, healthcare facilities and national parks, the early interest in reserving this limited series of prototypes highlights the growing demand for a flexible, cost- effective mobility solution that can adapt to diverse environments and operational needs.
HOLON’s mover will be made available in the U.S. through Benteler Mobility in collaboration with Beep, Inc., a leading provider of autonomous shared mobility solutions. Benteler Mobility will offer comprehensive services for the purchase and implementation of these cutting-edge autonomous vehicles, while Beep, an Orlando-based company, will provide the services and software to deploy, manage and operate the autonomous vehicles to ensure smooth planning and deployment.
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) continues to test autonomous vehicle technology through pilot programs at Florida State College of Jacksonville, in the Brooklyn neighborhood and other areas across the region. Building on learnings from these projects, JTA is on track to launch the first phase of its Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C), a comprehensive program to modernize and expand the Skyway in Jacksonville and introduce autonomous vehicles into JTA’s transportation system next summer.
HOLON’s new plant in Jacksonville complements its regional headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The BENTELER Group, HOLON’s parent company, operates six locations across the U.S., employing around 1,700 people. HOLON is planning further expansion with additional production sites in the future.
