WeRide and Renault Group have announced a new partnership that will offer a complimentary autonomous Robobus pilot service in the centre of Barcelona, Spain.
The service showcased the maturity and potential of automated transport technologies in a dense, complex urban environment. Last week’s pilot also represented the first test of WeRide and Renault’s jointly developed autonomous vehicle in Spain, which the companies say is capable of SAE Level 4 autonomy, says Safe Car News.
Having acquired the necessary authorization from Barcelona City Council and the Directorate General of Traffic, WeRide was able to confirm that its Robobus AV would operate from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on a circular itinerary spanning more than 1.4 miles (2 kilometers) and four stops. Through this operation, the companies are together working to help riders easily and safely discover the use cases for autonomous driving in real traffic.
This new service more broadly marks the latest step in WeRide’s European expansion, having more recently announced a shuttle service partnership with beti, Renault Group, and Macif that will feature an L4 -level automated mobility service in France’s Dôme region. In January, WeRide announced its first commercial autonomous shuttle project in Europe at Zurich Airport, and was also chosen technology supplier for a pilot project on autonomous driving by Swiss national railway Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB).
(Pic: WeRide/Renault Group)
