WeRide will shortly begin 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 L4 automated mobility service in France’s Drôme region. WeRide’s L4 automation will enable speeds up to 40km/h and dynamic obstacle avoidance.
WeRide will provide its L4 autonomous technology for a passenger transportation service on open roads in mixed traffic, with several 6m-long robobuses, each able to carry eight passengers, operated by Beti Automated Mobility. Beti will begin operations on March 10, at the Rovaltain business park – Valence TGV station in Drôme.
This is WeRide’s first fully driverless commercial Robobus deployment in Europe, showcasing its global expansion; and the company states it is also the first high-level automated service connecting a railway station to a business park.
“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.
Key use cases
WeRide says the new service will help prove a number of key use cases, including: providing flexible mobility between the station and companies while promoting sustainable last-mile transportation; creating a low-carbon alternative to walking between parking and the station; and connecting companies to the catering hub for employees.
“Following successful trials conducted by Renault Group and WeRide, the beginnings of a passenger transport service using automated shuttles are now being set up in Valence,” said Patrick Vergelas, head of Autonomous Mobility Projects, Renault Group.
The initial learning phase will run from March 10 to April 19, operating Monday to Friday under real passenger transportation conditions. It will demonstrate the relevance of the service, the safety of the technology and the efficiency of the operations. A second target operating phase will start in July.