French autonomous vehicle developer, EasyMile, has taken a significant step forward in providing driverless transport for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. The Toulouse-based company, in partnership with public transport operator Keolis, successfully completed trials of two unmanned shuttles that only require remote supervision at the Centre National de Tir (CNTS) in Châteauroux, France.
Keolis’ site at Châteauroux, known as SEMA, is the only location in the world dedicated to autonomous development, allowing vehicles to be operated and assessed without regulatory constraints. Over the past 18 months, Keolis has tested and operated two third-generation EasyMile EZ10 autonomous shuttles at the site.
The shuttles will be used to provide services for visitors and athletes at the shooting events during the Olympics and Paralympics. The success at CNTS is also expected to pave the way for more deployments at similar sites, and ultimately, on public roads.
“This new service, based on the know-how of two major players in autonomous public transport, is a further step towards scaling up, thanks to the control of operations by a single supervisor for two shuttles. Carried out in collaboration with Keolis, this project highlights the service that a fleet of autonomous shuttles can provide and the maturity of our technology” says Benoit Perrin, Managing Director of EasyMile.
