WeRide Obtains France’s Level-4 Driverless Permit, Becoming the Only Tech Company with Driverless Permits in Five Countries
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining France's Level-4 driverless public road testing and operating permit, making it the only technology company worldwide to hold driverless permits across five countries: China, UAE, Singapore, France, and the US.
The permit, secured in partnership with French autonomous mobility operator beti, was obtained in a record three months through France's rigorous PACTE law process. The authorization allows WeRide's autonomous minibus to operate at speeds up to 40 km/h, the highest-speed driverless permit in France.
WeRide recently launched Europe's first public-road commercial autonomous minibus service in Valence, France, collaborating with beti, Renault Group, and Macif. The company plans to implement fully driverless commercial operations with remote hypervision by July 2025. WeRide currently operates in 30 cities across 10 countries, with various autonomous vehicles including robotaxi, robobus, and robosweeper.
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) ha raggiunto un traguardo significativo ottenendo il permesso per testare e operare su strade pubbliche senza conducente di livello 4 in Francia, diventando così l'unica azienda tecnologica al mondo a detenere permessi per veicoli senza conducente in cinque paesi: Cina, Emirati Arabi Uniti, Singapore, Francia e Stati Uniti.
Il permesso, ottenuto in collaborazione con l'operatore francese di mobilità autonoma beti, è stato acquisito in un record di tre mesi attraverso il rigoroso processo della legge PACTE in Francia. L'autorizzazione consente all'autobus navetta autonomo di WeRide di operare a velocità fino a 40 km/h, il permesso per veicoli senza conducente più veloce in Francia.
WeRide ha recentemente lanciato il primo servizio commerciale di minibus autonomo su strada pubblica in Europa a Valence, in Francia, collaborando con beti, il Gruppo Renault e Macif. L'azienda prevede di implementare operazioni commerciali completamente senza conducente con ipervisione remota entro luglio 2025. WeRide attualmente opera in 30 città in 10 paesi, con vari veicoli autonomi tra cui robotaxi, robobus e robosweeper.
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) ha alcanzado un hito significativo al obtener el permiso para pruebas y operaciones de vehículos sin conductor de nivel 4 en Francia, convirtiéndose en la única empresa de tecnología en el mundo que posee permisos de vehículos sin conductor en cinco países: China, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Singapur, Francia y Estados Unidos.
El permiso, asegurado en asociación con el operador de movilidad autónoma francés beti, fue obtenido en un récord de tres meses a través del riguroso proceso de la ley PACTE en Francia. La autorización permite que el minibus autónomo de WeRide opere a velocidades de hasta 40 km/h, el permiso de vehículos sin conductor más rápido en Francia.
WeRide lanzó recientemente el primer servicio comercial de minibus autónomo en carretera pública en Europa en Valence, Francia, colaborando con beti, el Grupo Renault y Macif. La empresa planea implementar operaciones comerciales completamente sin conductor con hipervisión remota para julio de 2025. WeRide opera actualmente en 30 ciudades en 10 países, con varios vehículos autónomos, incluidos robotaxi, robobus y robosweeper.
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD)는 프랑스에서 레벨 4 자율주행 공공 도로 시험 및 운영 허가를 취득하여 세계에서 유일하게 다섯 개 국가(중국, 아랍에미리트, 싱가포르, 프랑스, 미국)에서 자율주행 허가를 보유한 기술 회사가 되었다는 중요한 이정표를 달성했다.
이 허가는 프랑스 자율 모빌리티 운영업체인 beti와의 파트너십을 통해 확보되었으며, 프랑스의 엄격한 PACTE 법 절차를 통해 기록적으로 3개월 만에 취득되었다. 이 승인으로 WeRide의 자율 미니버스는 프랑스에서 가장 높은 속도인 40 km/h로 운행할 수 있다.
WeRide는 최근 프랑스 발랑스에서 유럽 최초의 공공 도로 상업 자율 미니버스 서비스를 시작했으며, beti, 르노 그룹 및 Macif와 협력하고 있다. 이 회사는 2025년 7월까지 원격 하이퍼비전을 통해 완전 자율 상업 운영을 구현할 계획이다. WeRide는 현재 10개국 30개 도시에서 로보택시, 로보버스, 로보스위퍼 등 다양한 자율주행 차량을 운영하고 있다.
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) a atteint un jalon important en obtenant le permis de test et d'exploitation sur route publique sans conducteur de niveau 4 en France, devenant ainsi la seule entreprise technologique au monde à détenir des permis de conduite sans conducteur dans cinq pays : Chine, Émirats Arabes Unis, Singapour, France et États-Unis.
Le permis, obtenu en partenariat avec l'opérateur de mobilité autonome français beti, a été acquis en un temps record de trois mois grâce au processus rigoureux de la loi PACTE en France. L'autorisation permet au minibus autonome de WeRide d'opérer à des vitesses allant jusqu'à 40 km/h, le permis de conduite sans conducteur le plus rapide en France.
WeRide a récemment lancé le premier service commercial de minibus autonome sur route publique en Europe à Valence, en France, en collaboration avec beti, le Groupe Renault et Macif. L'entreprise prévoit de mettre en œuvre des opérations commerciales entièrement sans conducteur avec hypervision à distance d'ici juillet 2025. WeRide opère actuellement dans 30 villes à travers 10 pays, avec divers véhicules autonomes, y compris des robotaxis, des robobus et des robosweepers.
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) hat einen bedeutenden Meilenstein erreicht, indem es die Genehmigung für fahrerloses Fahren der Stufe 4 auf öffentlichen Straßen in Frankreich erhalten hat, und ist damit das einzige Technologieunternehmen weltweit, das fahrerlose Genehmigungen in fünf Ländern hält: China, VAE, Singapur, Frankreich und den USA.
Die Genehmigung, die in Partnerschaft mit dem französischen Betreiber für autonome Mobilität beti erlangt wurde, wurde in Rekordzeit von drei Monaten durch das strenge PACTE-Gesetzverfahren in Frankreich erhalten. Die Genehmigung erlaubt es dem autonomen Minibus von WeRide, mit Geschwindigkeiten von bis zu 40 km/h zu fahren, was die schnellste Genehmigung für fahrerlose Fahrzeuge in Frankreich ist.
WeRide hat kürzlich den ersten kommerziellen autonomen Minibusdienst auf öffentlichen Straßen in Europa in Valence, Frankreich, gestartet und arbeitet dabei mit beti, der Renault-Gruppe und Macif zusammen. Das Unternehmen plant, bis Juli 2025 vollständig fahrerlose kommerzielle Operationen mit Fernüberwachung umzusetzen. WeRide betreibt derzeit in 30 Städten in 10 Ländern verschiedene autonome Fahrzeuge, darunter Robotaxis, Robobusse und Robosauger.
- First tech company to secure driverless permits in five major markets
- Record-breaking three-month approval time for French permit
- Highest-speed driverless permit (40 km/h) issued in France
- Extensive global presence in 30 cities across 10 countries
- Strategic partnerships with major companies including Uber and Renault Group
- Full driverless operations not yet implemented, pending until July 2025
Insights
WeRide's achievement in securing France's Level-4 driverless permit represents a significant technological milestone in the autonomous driving industry. Being the only company worldwide with driverless permits across five countries demonstrates exceptional technical adaptability across diverse regulatory frameworks.
The authorization to operate at speeds up to 40 km/h - the highest-speed driverless permit in France - indicates WeRide's systems have met rigorous safety standards. This isn't merely a paperwork victory; it validates their autonomous driving stack's capability to handle varied traffic conditions, signaling infrastructure, and driving behaviors specific to European environments.
What's particularly notable is WeRide's complete autonomous ecosystem spanning robotaxis, robobuses, and robosweepers - suggesting a comprehensive commercialization strategy rather than a single-product approach. The partnership with Renault provides crucial manufacturing scalability while the Uber partnership opens significant deployment channels.
The planned July 2025 implementation of "one-to-multiple remote hypervision" represents advanced fleet management capabilities essential for commercial viability. This technology allows a single operator to monitor multiple vehicles simultaneously, dramatically improving the economics of autonomous operations.
WeRide's presence in 30 cities across 10 countries demonstrates operational validation at scale - a crucial differentiator in an industry where many competitors struggle to expand beyond test environments. The record-setting three-month approval process further suggests their technical documentation and safety protocols have reached exceptional maturity compared to industry peers.
WeRide's multi-country regulatory achievement represents a rare competitive moat in the autonomous vehicle sector. Securing driverless permits across China, UAE, Singapore, France, and the US demonstrates unprecedented regulatory navigational expertise across vastly different governance systems.
The significance of completing France's notoriously complex approval process in just three months cannot be overstated. The French regulatory framework requires coordinated approval from multiple agencies under the 2019 PACTE law, including the Directorate General for Energy and Climate, Ministry of the Interior, and Ministry of Ecological Transition.
This approval velocity suggests WeRide has developed sophisticated regulatory compliance systems and documentation frameworks that can be efficiently adapted to different jurisdictions. Such capability represents a significant barrier to competition, as regulatory approval typically consumes years of resources for autonomous vehicle companies.
The France permit specifically enables the February 27th commercial autonomous minibus service in Valence - moving beyond testing to actual revenue-generating operations. This transition from experimental to commercial deployment represents the critical regulatory threshold most autonomous companies struggle to cross.
WeRide's strategic partnership approach with local operators (beti), established manufacturers (Renault), and insurance providers (Macif) demonstrates sophisticated stakeholder management essential for regulatory success. These relationships help address the complex liability and operational concerns that typically slow regulatory approval.
The July 2025 target for fully driverless operations provides a clear regulatory roadmap that investors can monitor for execution performance.
PARIS, March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD), a world leader in autonomous driving technology, announced that the company, in partnership with the leading French autonomous mobility network operator beti, has obtained France’s Level-4 driverless public road testing and operating permit. This makes WeRide the first and only technology company worldwide to hold driverless permits across five countries: China, the UAE, Singapore, France, and the U.S. This remarkable milestone underscores WeRide’s global leadership, demonstrating its unparalleled technological capability and adaptability to diverse regulatory frameworks, and unwavering commitment to safety, compliance, and scalability in autonomous mobility.
Under the 2019 PACTE law, acquiring a driverless permit in France requires approval from multiple government agencies, coordinated by the Directorate General for Energy and Climate (DGEC), in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Ecological Transition. The process involves thorough evaluations of technical documents, safety protocols, and operational plans. WeRide and beti completed this rigorous process in three months—setting a record for France’s fastest driverless permit approval. This achievement highlights WeRide’s dedication to meeting the highest European standards for safety and operational excellence.
With this new permit, WeRide’s autonomous minibus is authorized to operate at speeds of up to 40 km/h, marking the highest-speed driverless permit issued in France to date.
On February 27, WeRide, in collaboration with beti, Renault Group, and Macif, launched Europe’s first public-road commercial autonomous minibus service in Valence, Drôme, France. The acquisition of the permit provides crucial regulatory backing and government endorsement, reinforcing the project’s progress. By July 2025, the partners aim to introduce a fully driverless commercial operation with one-to-multiple remote hypervision.
As a global pioneer and leader in autonomous mobility, WeRide has established a strong presence in 30 cities across 10 countries. The company’s innovative fleet of pre-designed, mass-produced autonomous vehicles—including robotaxi, robobus, and robosweeper—has already been deployed in France, Spain, Switzerland, Singapore, the UAE, Japan, and more.
Committed to building an open and collaborative ecosystem, WeRide has forged strategic partnerships with leading industry players, including Uber, the world’s largest mobility and delivery technology company; Renault Group, a top-tier global OEM; beti, a leading European autonomous mobility network operator; CTM, Singapore’s Tier-1 environmental services provider; Zurich Airport, one of Europe’s busiest transportation hubs; and Macif, a prominent French insurance company.
Contacts
Investor inquiries: ir@weride.ai
Press inquiries: pr@weride.ai
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