You may already have come across or used autonomous vehicles in Europe, which mainly serve as small closed-circuit shuttles for the time being. As legislation adapts to these new technologies, China's WeRide and Baidu are stepping up their efforts to gain a foothold in the market, starting with pilot projects and strategic partnerships in France and Switzerland.
Currently in France, these vehicles largely serve as small autonomous electric shuttles, whether to facilitate access to train stations or universities, or to enable isolated individuals to access public services. These driverless vehicles have become increasingly widespread in France since legislation authorized them to operate within a very specific framework. And this is now encouraging major international players to test their solutions in the country.
Such is the case of China's WeRide, which is currently testing 100% autonomous buses around the high-speed train (TGV) station in the southeastern city of Valence, in partnership with the Renault group, the Beti operator and the Macif insurance company. This is a Level 4 autonomous shuttle.
At this stage, the vehicle is capable of handling all driving tasks without human intervention, but only under specific, predefined conditions, in this case on an open road between Valence station and the Rovaltain business park. At the same time, the Chinese manufacturer is carrying out further public trials of its Robobus in Spain and Switzerland, to demonstrate the adaptability and reliability of its technology in dense urban environments.
According to the Wall Street Journal, China's Baidu is also gearing up to take to Europe's roads, and will soon be rolling out its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Switzerland. The company plans to begin testing its service by the end of the year.
All these initiatives are taking place against a backdrop of increasing competition between Chinese and Western companies in the field of autonomous vehicles. Europe represents a key market for Chinese players, with significant growth prospects.
However, the success of these projects will depend on a number of factors, including public acceptance, collaboration with local authorities and compliance with current regulations.
On this point, Switzerland has taken a major step forward by recently authorizing automated driving in three specific cases: automated piloting on freeways; the absence of a driver permitted on defined stretches of road but under the supervision of a remote operator; and automated parking in specifically marked parking lots. – AFP Relaxnews
