No driver, no problem: WeRide rolls out Europe’s first commercial driverless Robobus

As driverless passenger cars and robotaxis hit the road, autonomous buses were the next logical step – and they’re about to enter Europe’s streets, courtesy of the autonomous driving technology provider WeRide, and its automotive partners beti, Renault, and Macif.

Specifically, the Robobus, an L4-level automated mobility service, is rolling out in France’s Drôme region, as WeRide’s first European fully driverless commercial deployment and a shuttle service partnership with the above companies, per a press release on February 27.

Robobus’ specifications

According to WeRide, its L4-level autonomous technology for a passenger transport service on open roads in mixed traffic will involve several six-meter-long robobuses, each able to carry up to eight passengers, and will be operated by beti Automated Mobility, starting March 10.

The inaugural ride, running until April 19, will begin at the Rovaltain business park – Valence TGV station in Drôme. It will follow a 3.3 km route, serving the train station, off-site long-term parking, the business park’s catering hub, and 150 companies employing 3,000 people Monday to Friday under real passenger transport conditions.

Per the press release, the Robobus key use cases include:

• Flexible mobility between the station and companies using sustainable last-mile transport.
• A low-carbon alternative to walking between parking and the station.
• Connecting companies to the catering hub for employees.

Importance of driverless Robobus

Commenting on the launch, Jennifer Li, CFO and Head of International Business at WeRide, stated that the European launch was the continuation of the successful operations in China, Singapore, and the Middle East:

“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.”

Meanwhile, Benjamin Beaudet, the CEO of beti, explained that his company’s ‘hypervision’ solution provides a second layer of safety for automated driving and ensures continuous improvement of the system. Patrick Vergelas, Head of Autonomous Mobility Projects, Renault Group, chimed in, saying that:

“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.”

Elsewhere, WeRide’s new unmanned Robotaxi has received clearance to take over the streets of Beijing, whereas Tesla plans to initiate a fully autonomous paid ride-hailing service in Texas and California sometime this year, after the completion of tests in the Bay Area.