WeRide and Renault Group launch their first autonomous Robobus trial in Spain
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) and Renault Group have launched their first autonomous Robobus trial in Barcelona, Spain, running from March 10th to 14th, 2025. The free service operates on a 2-kilometer circular route with four stops in the city center, showcasing Level-4 autonomous vehicle technology in dense urban conditions.
The trial follows WeRide's recent expansion in Europe, including the first commercial driverless Robobus deployment in France's Dôme region through a partnership with beti, Renault Group, and Macif. The company also secured projects at Zurich Airport and with Swiss national railway SBB in January.
Operating from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, the Barcelona demonstration has received authorization from the City Council and Directorate General of Traffic. This initiative builds on the partners' previous collaboration during the Roland-Garros 2024 tennis tournament, aiming to showcase sustainable urban mobility solutions for European cities targeting carbon neutrality and Low Emission Zones.
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) e Renault Group hanno lanciato il loro primo progetto pilota di Robobus autonomo a Barcellona, Spagna, che si svolgerà dal 10 al 14 marzo 2025. Il servizio gratuito opera su un percorso circolare di 2 chilometri con quattro fermate nel centro città, dimostrando la tecnologia dei veicoli autonomi di livello 4 in condizioni urbane dense.
Il progetto pilota segue l'espansione recente di WeRide in Europa, compreso il primo dispiegamento commerciale di Robobus senza conducente nella regione del Dôme in Francia attraverso una partnership con beti, Renault Group e Macif. L'azienda ha anche ottenuto progetti all'aeroporto di Zurigo e con le ferrovie nazionali svizzere SBB a gennaio.
Operando dalle 11:00 alle 17:00 ogni giorno, la dimostrazione a Barcellona ha ricevuto l'autorizzazione dal Comune e dalla Direzione Generale del Traffico. Questa iniziativa si basa sulla precedente collaborazione dei partner durante il torneo di tennis Roland-Garros 2024, con l'obiettivo di mostrare soluzioni di mobilità urbana sostenibile per le città europee miranti alla neutralità carbonica e alle Zone a Basse Emissioni.
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) y Renault Group han lanzado su primera prueba de Robobus autónomo en Barcelona, España, que se llevará a cabo del 10 al 14 de marzo de 2025. El servicio gratuito opera en una ruta circular de 2 kilómetros con cuatro paradas en el centro de la ciudad, mostrando la tecnología de vehículos autónomos de nivel 4 en condiciones urbanas densas.
La prueba sigue la reciente expansión de WeRide en Europa, incluyendo el primer despliegue comercial de Robobus sin conductor en la región de Dôme en Francia a través de una asociación con beti, Renault Group y Macif. La empresa también aseguró proyectos en el Aeropuerto de Zúrich y con los ferrocarriles nacionales suizos SBB en enero.
Operando de 11:00 AM a 5:00 PM todos los días, la demostración en Barcelona ha recibido autorización del Ayuntamiento y de la Dirección General de Tráfico. Esta iniciativa se basa en la colaboración previa de los socios durante el torneo de tenis Roland-Garros 2024, con el objetivo de mostrar soluciones de movilidad urbana sostenible para las ciudades europeas que buscan la neutralidad de carbono y las Zonas de Bajas Emisiones.
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD)와 르노 그룹은 스페인 바르셀로나에서 2025년 3월 10일부터 14일까지 첫 번째 자율 로보버스 시험 운행을 시작했습니다. 이 무료 서비스는 도심에서 4개의 정거장이 있는 2킬로미터 원형 노선으로 운영되며, 밀집한 도시 환경에서 레벨 4 자율주행 차량 기술을 선보입니다.
이번 시험은 WeRide의 유럽 내 최근 확장에 이어 이루어지며, 프랑스의 돔 지역에서 beti, 르노 그룹 및 Macif와의 파트너십을 통해 최초의 상업적인 무인 로보버스 배치를 포함합니다. 이 회사는 또한 1월에 취리히 공항과 스위스 국가철도 SBB와의 프로젝트를 확보했습니다.
매일 오전 11시부터 오후 5시까지 운영되는 바르셀로나 시연은 시청과 교통총국의 승인을 받았습니다. 이 이니셔티브는 2024 롤랑가로스 테니스 대회 동안 파트너 간의 이전 협력을 바탕으로 하며, 탄소 중립과 저배출 구역을 목표로 하는 유럽 도시를 위한 지속 가능한 도시 이동성 솔루션을 선보이는 것을 목표로 하고 있습니다.
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) et Renault Group ont lancé leur premier essai de Robobus autonome à Barcelone, Espagne, qui se déroulera du 10 au 14 mars 2025. Le service gratuit fonctionne sur un parcours circulaire de 2 kilomètres avec quatre arrêts dans le centre-ville, mettant en avant la technologie des véhicules autonomes de niveau 4 dans des conditions urbaines denses.
L'essai fait suite à l'expansion récente de WeRide en Europe, y compris le premier déploiement commercial de Robobus sans conducteur dans la région du Dôme en France grâce à un partenariat avec beti, Renault Group et Macif. L'entreprise a également sécurisé des projets à l'aéroport de Zurich et avec les chemins de fer nationaux suisses SBB en janvier.
Fonctionnant de 11h00 à 17h00 chaque jour, la démonstration à Barcelone a reçu l'autorisation de la mairie et de la Direction générale de la circulation. Cette initiative s'appuie sur la collaboration antérieure des partenaires lors du tournoi de tennis Roland-Garros 2024, visant à présenter des solutions de mobilité urbaine durables pour les villes européennes visant la neutralité carbone et les Zones à faibles émissions.
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) und Renault Group haben ihren ersten Testlauf eines autonomen Robobusses in Barcelona, Spanien, gestartet, der vom 10. bis 14. März 2025 stattfinden wird. Der kostenlose Service verkehrt auf einer 2 Kilometer langen Rundstrecke mit vier Haltestellen im Stadtzentrum und demonstriert die Technologie autonomer Fahrzeuge der Stufe 4 unter dichten urbanen Bedingungen.
Der Test folgt auf WeRide's kürzliche Expansion in Europa, darunter die erste kommerzielle Bereitstellung eines fahrerlosen Robobusses in der Dôme-Region Frankreichs durch eine Partnerschaft mit beti, Renault Group und Macif. Das Unternehmen sicherte sich auch Projekte am Flughafen Zürich und mit den Schweizerischen Bundesbahnen SBB im Januar.
Der Betrieb findet täglich von 11:00 bis 17:00 Uhr statt und die Demonstration in Barcelona hat die Genehmigung der Stadtverwaltung und der Generaldirektion für Verkehr erhalten. Diese Initiative baut auf der vorherigen Zusammenarbeit der Partner während des Tennisturniers Roland-Garros 2024 auf, mit dem Ziel, nachhaltige urbane Mobilitätslösungen für europäische Städte zu präsentieren, die auf Kohlenstoffneutralität und Niedrigemissionszonen abzielen.
- Expansion into European market with multiple commercial projects
- Strategic partnership with major automotive manufacturer Renault Group
- Successful deployment of Level-4 autonomous technology in multiple locations
- Regulatory approvals obtained for operations in major European cities
- Trial service is free, indicating no immediate revenue generation
- trial duration of only 5 days
- Operations restricted to specific hours and route coverage
Insights
WeRide's Barcelona autonomous Robobus trial with Renault Group represents a strategic market expansion milestone rather than an immediate revenue-generating event. This demonstration is part of a systematic European market penetration strategy that includes multiple recently announced deployments:
- First European commercial driverless Robobus deployment in France's Dôme region
- Commercial autonomous shuttle project at Zurich Airport
- Technology supplier selection for Swiss national railway (SBB)
While this five-day trial (March 10-14) won't directly impact quarterly financials, it serves as a critical proof-of-concept in one of Europe's most complex urban environments. For WeRide, demonstrating operational capability in Barcelona's dense traffic conditions significantly de-risks their European expansion strategy and validates their technology's adaptability beyond Asian markets where they first established their presence.
The Renault partnership provides WeRide with a credible pathway to European market commercialization, leveraging an established automotive manufacturer's distribution channels and regulatory expertise. This trial effectively serves as a real-world technology showcase that could accelerate adoption by other European municipalities implementing Low Emission Zones and seeking carbon-neutral transportation solutions.
The Barcelona trial highlights WeRide's technical capacity to deploy Level-4 autonomous vehicles in dense European urban environments - a substantially different operating context from controlled campus environments or simpler road systems. Successfully navigating a 2+ kilometer route in Barcelona's complex traffic conditions demonstrates significant technological maturity.
What makes this deployment technically notable is the adaptation required for European traffic patterns, signage systems, and road infrastructure that differs from WeRide's initial Asian market deployments. The company appears to be methodically validating their autonomous driving stack across diverse global environments, essential for any aspiring global autonomous mobility provider.
The demonstration's short duration (five days) suggests this is primarily a technical validation exercise and public awareness campaign rather than a commercial service launch. However, it builds upon their growing European deployment portfolio, including the Zurich Airport project and French Dôme region service. Each deployment represents incremental technical learning that improves their core autonomous driving platform.
WeRide's partnership with Renault also provides important insights into integrating their autonomous systems with vehicles designed for European regulatory standards. This collaboration pattern - pairing with established regional manufacturers - could accelerate their technology deployment timeline across different markets while reducing certification barriers.
BARCELONA , Spain, March 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD), a global leader in autonomous driving, and Renault Group will offer a free autonomous Robobus trial service in the center of Barcelona from March 10th to 14th, aiming to showcase the maturity and potential of automated transport technologies for the first time in a dense and complex urban environment. The demonstration highlights the technological leadership in autonomous driving solutions that WeRide and Renault are bringing to enable agile, flexible, modern, eco-friendly, and affordable mobility, especially for European cities aspiring to carbon neutrality and Low Emission Zones.
This will be WeRide and Renault Group’s first test in Spain of their Level-4 autonomous vehicle for public transport. The initiative continues the experimentation carried out by the partners during the Roland-Garros 2024 tennis tournament.
"This Barcelona trial represents a pivotal moment in WeRide's international expansion strategy, demonstrating our technology leadership beyond Asian markets and into the heart of Europe," said Tony Han, founder & CEO at WeRide. "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. This collaboration with Renault Group underscores our shared vision for making smart, sustainable mobility solutions accessible worldwide.”
Last month, WeRide announced the first European fully driverless commercial deployment of its Robobus as part of a shuttle service partnership with beti, Renault Group, and Macif that will feature an L4 -level automated mobility service in France’s Dôme region. In January, WeRide announced its first commercial autonomous shuttle project in Europe at Zurich Airport, and was also chosen technology supplier for a pilot project on autonomous driving by Swiss national railway Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB).
The experimental Robobus, which has the required authorization from Barcelona City Council and the Directorate General of Traffic, will operate from March 10th to March 14th from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on a circular itinerary of more than 2 kilometers. The goal is for riders to easily and safely discover autonomous driving in real traffic. The route will have four stops where passengers will be able to get comfortably on and off, giving riders the opportunity to experience the autonomous and sustainable driving of the future while enjoying a unique tour of Barcelona.
Contacts:
WeRide PR
pr@weride.ai
ICR Inc.
WeRidePR@icrinc.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/72f1e265-4d30-46ef-b3bc-967fb85fff0c
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