WeRide’s kicking off the continent’s first fully driverless robobus service in France. This isn’t some test run—it’s a commercial launch, hooked up with beti, Renault Group, and Macif, set to hit the Drôme region at the Rovaltain business park near Valence TGV station. It’s a real move, and it’s happening fast—March 10’s the start date.
WeRide’s dropping these robobuses—six meters long, packing L4-level autonomous tech—into mixed traffic on a 3.3-kilometer stretch, tying together the Valence TGV station, long-term parking, a catering hub, and 150 companies with 3,000 workers. Each bus hauls up to eight passengers, dodging obstacles on its own at speeds up to 40 km/h—no driver, no fuss. Beti’s running the show with a “hypervision” setup, keeping tabs for safety and tweaks. This isn’t just fancy tech—it’s folks getting around without a wheelman, and it’s a big step nobody saw coming this quick.
This route’s no small potatoes—3.3 kilometers weaving through open roads, hitting key spots for 3,000 employees across 150 businesses. That L4 tech means full autonomy—sensors, cameras, software calling shots, no human backup needed. Renault’s been trialing this with WeRide—March 10 to April 19’s the first phase, Monday to Friday, real passenger runs to test it out. They’re not playing around—this is live, hauling real people, and it’s got the nuts to reshape how folks move.
The backstory’s solid—WeRide’s been at this since 2017, running driverless buses in China, Singapore, UAE, over 1,900 days of ops under their belt. X chatter’s got insiders buzzing—first European commercial go, building off Guangzhou and Abu Dhabi runs. That “hypervision” layer? Beti’s tech watching every move, catching hiccups live—40 km/h ain’t slow, and dodging’s no joke on busy roads. This ain’t new ground for them—it’s proven, and Europe’s just the next spot they’re planting it.
Meanwhile, this ain’t fluff—150 companies, 3,000 workers tied to a TGV hub means real traffic, real need. Phase one—March 10 to April 19—lays the groundwork, then July’s the full rollout. Renault’s in deep—Patrick Vergelas from their autonomous crew says it’s “the beginnings of a passenger transport service using automated shuttles” after solid trials. This is the future creeping in—nobody’s steering, and it’s working folks who’ll feel it first.
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