Autonomous driving technology firm WeRide has today announced the first European fully driverless commercial deployment of its Robobus as part of a shuttle service partnership with beti, Renault Group, and Macif that will feature an Level 4 automated mobility service in France’s Drôme region.
WeRide will provide its L4 autonomous technology for a passenger transport service on open roads in mixed traffic, with several six-meter-long robobuses, each able to carry eight passengers, operated by beti Automated Mobility. Beti Automated Mobility will begin operations on March 10, at the Rovaltain business park – Valence TGV station in Drôme.
“Our collaboration with beti allows us to execute our inaugural commercial Robobus deployment in Europe, utilizing our proven track record in the Chinese, Singaporean, and Middle Eastern markets, and ultimately reinforcing our position as a global leader in L4 autonomous driving deployment and commercialization.” said Jennifer Li, CFO and Head of International Business at WeRide.
Benjamin Beaudet, CEO of beti, explained that beti’s “hypervision” solution provides a second layer of safety for automated driving and ensures continuous improvement of the system.
The route is 3.3km long and serves the train station, off-site long-term parking, the business park’s catering hub, and 150 companies employing 3,000 people.
