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- Renault Group has chosen to approach the autonomous vehicle strategy in the years to come by separating expectations for individual vehicles from the needs of public transportation:
- For the individual vehicle: assistance rather than autonomy, with ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) at the top level of the market for even greater safety and comfort.
- For public transportation: autonomy is relevant and necessary in order to meet effectively the growing need for low-carbon mobility in the regions.
- In addition to the demonstrations and partnerships already underway, Renault Group is now teaming up with WeRide, leader in autonomous driving technologies, with a first demonstration in real conditions from May 26th at the Roland-Garros 2024 tennis tournament.
Boulogne-Billancourt, France — Renault Group has a pragmatic vision of technology, based on the principle that innovation only makes sense if it is shared, economically accessible and genuinely useful to as many people as possible.
Technological developments are now making it possible to offer increasingly effective driver assistance and delegation functions adapted to different types of vehicles and use.
For the individual vehicles, Renault Group already offers top-level driving assistance on most of its models, providing comfort and safety. Further automation of some functions, with the aim of achieving complete vehicle autonomy, seems unlikely for the time being, given current regulations, customer expectations and the cost of the complex technology involved.
When it comes to public transportation, Renault Group intends to be a real player in sustainable and autonomous mobility. To this end, the Group is developing an electric, robotised, and pre-equipped miniBus platform that will host various automation solutions from specialist partners.
Experimentations have been underway for several years, and others are about to be announced, in particular with WeRide, the world expert in autonomous vehicles, with a first demonstration of public transport in real conditions in a few days’ time during the Roland-Garros 2024 tennis tournament.
Renault Group’s autonomous vehicle strategy
There is an international consensus around 6 levels on “automated and autonomous driving”, ranging from level L0 without any driving assistance, to level L5, the ultimate level in which the vehicle would be fully autonomous, in all situations and without any on-board operator.
In the case of individual vehicles, Renault Group is concentrating its efforts on the L2 or even L2+ level, with several driving assistances that are at the top level of the market and make its vehicles safe and pleasant to drive with confidence, such as contextual cruise control or lane keeping assist, or soon the automatic overtaking function. Although assisted, the driver remains responsible for driving.
There is a significant technological complexity gap between level L2 automation and level L3 autonomy, because the vehicle must be able to operate safely in complex environments with limited driver supervision. At this stage, the induced cost to be borne by customers, in relation to the driving benefits, would make demand insufficient or even anecdotal.
At the same time, the Group is making sure that the architecture of its vehicles can evolve towards the autonomous car if expectations, regulations, or the cost of technologies make this breakthrough feasible.
On the other hand, when it comes to public transportation, Renault Group sees the relevance of offering autonomous vehicles, with an annual need estimated at several thousand miniBuses over the next few years.
The autonomous miniBus, a relevant and necessary solution for public transport
In Europe, more than 400 major cities will gradually become low emission zones, while still having to ensure the mobility of their populations.
Convinced of the benefits of autonomous public transportation, Renault Group has been conducting trials for several years to define the best response to the needs of local authorities, such as the “Mach 2 project” announced in 2023, which from 2026 will see a fleet of automated electric minibuses integrated into the public transportation network of Chateauroux Metropole (France).
Ultimately, these trials will lead Renault Group to offer a robotised electric miniBus platform based on the New Renault Master, able to integrate automation solutions from specialist partners such as EasyMile, Milla and WeRide.
More flexible, autonomous miniBuses will be able to operate 24/7 in complete safety and will be a zero-emission alternative or an efficient complement to existing solutions (train, tram, bus) in terms of costs and CO2/km.passenger. The additional costs of robotisation and automation could be offset by the absence of on-board operators. A simple remote supervision system will be required to operate a fleet of vehicles.
WeRide, global specialist in autonomous vehicles
Today, Renault Group is initiating a new collaboration with WeRide, a world-renowned expert in autonomous driving, for the large-scale commercial deployment of vehicles with an L4 level of autonomy, i.e. capable of managing driving situations on their own, within an operational defined domain, with remote supervision, but without an on-board operator.
When, in 2018, Alliance Ventures[1] invested in the fledgling company WeRide, which was then blowing out its first candle, it anticipated the strong future need for collective autonomous mobility.
Since then, WeRide has become a global benchmark for autonomous vehicles, with more than 700 autonomous vehicles in service (including 300 miniBuses) that have travelled more than 28 million km in Asia, the Middle East, and North America… and soon in Europe with Renault Group.
“Renault Group is moving forward to implement its autonomous vehicle strategy. As a result, thanks to our experiments and our partners, the best in their fields, we will be in a position, well before the end of this decade, to propose a highly relevant range of autonomous, low-carbon miniBuses to meet the growing needs of the regions.” —Gilles Le Borgne, CTO Renault Group
Autonomous shuttles for Roland-Garros 2024As a premium partner of the tournament, Renault is innovating with WeRide by setting up a trial of electric and autonomous shuttles that will facilitate access to the Roland-Garros stadium while demonstrating the maturity of new technologies for automated public transport services. From 11am to 7pm, from 26 May to 9 June 2024, this experimental service will take passengers from the P2 car park (located on the outskirts of the Bois-de-Boulogne) to the Roland-Garros stadium. And, at the end of the matches, to leave Roland-Garros to the Place de la Porte d’Auteuil or back to the P2 car park.
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[1] Alliance Ventures is a strategic fund managed by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, positioned to invest in early-stage start-ups whose software, products or services are primarily focused on the future of the automotive industry.
Press release Renault Group
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