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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

HOLON Plans Jacksonville, Florida, Operations

09/09/2024
HOLON, a manufacturer of autonomous, electric shuttles, plans to establish production operations in Jacksonville, Florida. The $100 million project is expected to create 200 jobs.

The investment will include the construction of an approximately 500,000-square-foot facility which will produce the company’s Mover, an all electric shuttle with the capacity for up to 15 passengers seated and standing, traveling at speeds up to 37 mph. Operations are scheduled for 2026.

"Today marks a significant milestone in the journey of our mover project,” said Henning von Watzdorf, CEO of HOLON. “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 will be made available in the U.S. through Benteler Mobility in collaboration with Beep, Inc., a provider of autonomous shared mobility solutions. The BENTELER Group, HOLON's parent company, currently operates six locations across the U.S.

"Manufacturing has been the missing piece," JAXUSA Partnership President Aundra Wallace noted. "JTA is a national leader with autonomous vehicles and has built strategic partnerships across the industry. HOLON's investment brings the production element to a robust innovation ecosystem in place, and we expect only growth from here on out."

"At JTA, we recognized that AVs would have a significant and positive impact across our city and our industry, not only enhancing mobility but also in driving workforce and economic development," added Jacksonville Transportation Authority CEO Nat Ford. "Today, that vision moves closer to becoming a reality. Through the JTA's internationally recognized U2C program, we are building a stronger and better-connected Northeast Florida."

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