Holon's Autonomous Shuttle Ambitions Run Behind Schedule as Lawsuit Raises Execution Concerns

Benteler's electric shuttle subsidiary has missed key delivery milestones and failed to establish its promised U.S. manufacturing facility, raising questions about the automotive supplier's ability to execute its ambitious autonomous vehicle strategy ahead of planned 2026 deployments.

Court documents filed in New York reveal that Holon Motors failed to deliver prototype vehicles by their May 2025 deadline and has yet to break ground on the Jacksonville, Florida production site that was supposed to be operational by November 2024. The delays emerge from a lawsuit filed by Beep, which advanced $30 million to Benteler Trading International to establish Holon's U.S. operations.

According to the complaint, Holon never purchased or leased the promised manufacturing facility and provided no valid justification for missing the prototype delivery deadline. In October 2025, nearly a year after the

November 2024 deadline, Benteler signed a term sheet with developer InLight Real Estate Partners for a facility to be built, with groundbreaking not scheduled until April 2026, 17 months after they were contractually required to have secured a site. When confronted about the delays, Benteler cited unspecified "macroeconomic effects" without evidence, according to court filings.

The timing is awkward given Benteler's July announcement of a partnership with Lyft to deploy Holon-branded autonomous shuttles across U.S. cities from 2026, backed by a $100 million investment in Jacksonville manufacturing.

Beep's lawsuit alleges that Benteler never intended to fulfil its obligations, instead using the $30 million advance and Beep's regulatory expertise to gain a foothold in the U.S. market before pursuing the Lyft partnership independently. The complaint claims Benteler "never used a penny" of the investment to establish Holon's U.S. operations as promised.

The legal dispute also reveals that Saudi-backed investment fund Tasaru holds a 37.9% stake in Holon Group, a material fact that Benteler allegedly concealed from Beep before signing their alliance agreement. The split ownership could make decisions harder and complicate raising additional capital.

For Lyft, which has struggled to establish a profitable autonomous vehicle strategy, Benteler's execution issues add uncertainty to a partnership that was meant to provide a purpose-built fleet solution. The ride-hailing company's previous autonomous vehicle initiatives have faced setbacks, making reliable manufacturing and deployment timelines important to any renewed effort. Benteler's pattern of Jacksonville announcements followed by delays and defaults raises questions about the Lyft partnership's prospects.

Casper Benteler, who controls both Benteler Trading International and CAB Holding GmbH (which guaranteed Beep's advance), has not commented publicly on the lawsuit. The 42-year-old heir to the multibillion-euro Benteler Group has been engaged in a protracted dispute over control of the family business, which may explain what Beep characterises as his need for "quick liquidity."

The Jacksonville facility was meant to commence full production by October 2026, with Benteler agreeing to repay Beep's $30 million through revenues from the first 1,000 vehicles sold. Under the InLight term sheet, operations would not begin until late 2027 at the earliest, more than a year behind the original schedule. Benteler's guarantor CAB Holding has also ignored formal payment demands from Beep, according to court documents.

The delays point to deeper problems with Benteler's shift from traditional automotive components into

autonomous vehicles. Building the shuttles means coordinating manufacturing, integrating Mobileye's autonomous systems, and securing regulatory approvals while managing partnerships with both Lyft and others - a challenge that Benteler's track record so far suggests it may be underestimating.