At this year’s French Open, tennis fans had the opportunity to experience an autonomous bus service presented by Chinese company WeRide and French automaker Renault Group. The Level 4 autonomous shuttle service provided a glimpse into the potential of self-driving transport and marked WeRide’s entry into the European market.
Throughout the tournament, the WeRide Robobus ferried fans in Paris from a parking lot near Roland-Garros to the stadium and back, covering a three-mile route in approximately 12 minutes. Operating between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily, the shuttle showcased the evolving landscape of autonomous transportation.
WeRide’s CEO, Tony Han, expressed gratitude for the support from strategic investor Renault Group, highlighting their joint efforts to promote low-carbon public transportation with autonomous driving. The pilot program is seen as a significant step in WeRide’s international strategy to introduce safe, comfortable, and environmentally friendly autonomous public transportation services in Europe.
Equipped with WeRide’s full-stack, self-developed autonomous driving software and hardware system, the WeRide Robobus is considered the world’s first pre-designed autonomous driving robobus deployed on a large scale. The bus has previously operated in 30 cities across seven countries, including in the Middle East and Singapore.
In collaboration with Renault Group, WeRide aims to develop a localized version of a Level 4 driverless minibus tailored for the European market. This effort aligns with Renault Group’s new autonomous strategy, focusing on public transport solutions rather than self-driving cars. The potential commercial demand for a driverless minibus in Europe’s public transit sector is estimated to be several thousand units per year.
