China-based autonomous driving start-up WeRide and French car maker Renault Group have teamed up to trial an experimental autonomous bus in Barcelona.
For the past week, commuters in the Spanish city have been able to catch a free ride on a new driverless minibus that has been running a 1.3 mile circular route with four stops in the city centre.
Operating during daylight hours, the experimental bus drives up to the stop and allows passengers to disembark and embark, before pulling away and easing into traffic.
Tony Han, founder and CEO at WeRide, said: ”This collaboration with Renault Group underscores our shared vision for making smart, sustainable mobility solutions accessible worldwide.”
In May 2024, Renault Group announced it was partnering with WeRide on its autonomous vehicle strategy for public transport. This includes open-road experimentation with autonomous minibuses that offer accessible, efficient and more sustainable mobility solutions.
The first full-scale demonstration took place during the French Open tennis tournament last summer. During the event, the two experimental buses covered 1,000km and transported nearly 700 people.
They have also been testing projects in Valence, France, and at Zurich airport. Renault says more will be announced soon.
The testing phase for the bus in Barcelona will continue until 19 April. This will be followed by the implementation of a commercial service of level-4 automated shuttles from July 2025, said Renault.
Level-4 means the vehicle is fully autonomous within a defined controlled area.
Han said: "By bringing our Level-4 autonomous Robobus to navigate Barcelona’s complex urban environment in real traffic conditions, we're showcasing not just the maturity of our technology, but its adaptability to diverse global settings.”
In August 2024, WeRide received approval to test its driverless vehicles with passengers in California. This includes both with a driver and without one, but the company is not allowed to offer rides to the general public and cannot charge fares.
Last week the company announced it has launched a commercial robotaxi service in Beijing, China, between the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area and Beijing South Railway Station.
This is the latest in WeRide’s regular Robotaxi operations, which includes cities such as Guangzhou, Beijing, Nanjing, Ordos, Suzhou, Abu Dhabi and Zurich.
In December 2024, WeRide partnered with Uber to launch the largest Robotaxi fleet in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi.