Renault and the French Tennis Federation (FFT), in collaboration with WeRide, have launched a Level 4 (L4) driverless minibus shuttle service for the Grand Slam tennis tournament.
The L4 driverless minibus shuttle service at Roland-Garros transports passengers from parking lot P2, located on the outskirts of the Bois de Boulogne, to the Roland-Garros stadium. After the matches, the driverless minibus departs from the stadium to the Porte d’Auteuil area or returns to parking lot P2. The complete shuttle route covers approximately five kilometers and takes around twelve minutes. VIPs and media representatives can choose the nearest stops to board. The shuttle operates from May 26 to June 9, between 11 AM and 7 PM.
The WeRide Robobus is the first commercially deployed autonomous bus at scale. It is equipped with WeRide’s autonomous driving software and hardware, meeting the global demand for sustainable and low-carbon public transportation. It provides autonomous shuttle services in various scenarios, including urban roads, airports, resorts, and popular tourist sites. Currently, the WeRide Robobus operates in nearly 30 cities worldwide.
Tony Han, founder and CEO of WeRide, stated that the launch of the Robobus shuttle service at Roland-Garros marks the first step in joint efforts with Renault to promote low-carbon public transportation through autonomous driving. This also represents a milestone in WeRide’s strategy, marking its entry into the European market. Han added that future collaborations with Renault will focus on providing safe, comfortable, and eco-friendly autonomous public transport services in Europe.
The long-term goal of Renault and WeRide is to develop a localized version of the L4 driverless minibus for the public transportation sector, meeting the needs and standards of the European market. It is estimated that in the coming years, the commercial demand for driverless minibuses in the European public transportation sector will reach several thousand units per year.
Last month, Renault held a press conference in Paris to share its autonomous driving strategy, focusing on the public transport sector to meet the demand for low-carbon travel in the European market.
Founded in 2017, WeRide develops autonomous driving technologies from Level 2 to Level 4. WeRide is the only technology company globally to hold driverless permits in China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore, conducting R&D, testing, and autonomous driving operations in more than 30 cities across seven countries, with offices in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, San Jose, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and Stuttgart. WeRide has operated a fleet of autonomous vehicles for over 1,600 days.
WeRide aims to develop safe and reliable driverless solutions to make mobility and transportation safer, more affordable, and more accessible. WeRide offers a range of products such as robotaxis, robobuses, robosweepers, and advanced driving solutions, providing intelligent services in online ride-hailing, on-demand transport, urban logistics, environmental sanitation, and advanced driving solutions.
WeRide has partnerships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 companies, including the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Yutong Group, GAC Group, and BOSCH.
