HOLON to Establish Autonomous Shuttle Manufacturing Facility in Florida

HOLON becomes the first automotive OEM to manufacture in the State of Florida and will produce the first industrialized autonomous, electric shuttles in the U.S. with production slated to begin in 2026

Florida,USA– HOLON, the 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, Florida. 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 by Q1/2026.

Mr. 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 (AVs), 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 vehicles. 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.”

The HOLON’s mover, a fully electric and autonomous vehicle, 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 meets 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 expected to be deployed in pilot projects by early 2026

Mr. Petr Marijczuk, COO of HOLON, said, “We are thrilled to establish our first U.S. manufacturing plant in Jacksonville, marking a milestone not just for HOLON, but for Florida, the United States, and the global autonomous vehicle industry. 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 in one shift, making them more accessible and quicker to the market worldwide."

Mr. Joe Moye, CEO of Beep, said, “The future of transportation hinges on the integration of these purpose-built autonomous, electric shuttles into our mobility networks. Beep is leading the industry with our AI-enabled AutonomOS™ platform, which transforms how we plan, deploy and manage autonomous mobility networks. HOLON’s next generation mover, manufactured locally in the U.S., represents an unprecedented step forward in this field. It will play a key role in reducing congestion, eliminating carbon emissions and improving safety on our roadways.”

Mr.Tobias Liebelt, General Manager Benteler Mobility, said, “Leveraging HOLON's local manufacturing and the strategic partnership with Beep, we can provide our customers with an integrated, end-to-end solution, starting with the vehicle and spanning all the way to infrastructure enablement, along with attractive financing services.”

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 (UC), a comprehensive program to modernize and expand the Skyway in Jacksonville, and introduce AVs into JTA’s transportation system in June 2025.