Will Malaysia ever be ready for autonomous vehicles or are our roads too unpredictable?
We all know that many countries across the globe have fully embraced autonomous vehicles and now even in France, WeRide, an autonomous driving brand from Guangzhou, is operating its first fully driverless commercial deployment of its Robobus. So now we ask the question, when so many countries embrace advancement, when will Malaysia start doing the same?
The deployment will take place in the Drôme region of France, featuring a Level 4 automated passenger transport service operating on open roads with mixed traffic. The Robobus service will operate with several six-meter-long robobuses, each capable of carrying up to eight passengers.
Moreover, these vehicles, powered by WeRide’s advanced L4-level autonomous technology, will be managed by beti Automated Mobility. Starting on 10 March, the service will begin operations at the Rovaltain business park, located near the Valence TGV station in Drôme, providing flexible and sustainable mobility options for local commuters.
Jennifer Li, CFO and Head of International Business at WeRide, stated, “Our collaboration with beti allows us to execute our inaugural commercial Robobus deployment in Europe, leveraging our proven success in China, Singapore, and the Middle East. This milestone reinforces our position as a global leader in L4 autonomous driving technology and commercialization.”
The autonomous shuttle service will also run along a 3.3km route, connecting key locations such as the Valence TGV station, off-site long-term parking areas, the business park’s catering hub, and 150 companies employing over 3,000 people. This initiative focuses on promoting sustainable transportation by offering a low-carbon, flexible solution for last-mile travel.
On top of that, this deployment is significant for several reasons, namely it highlights the Guangzhou company’s global expansion as well as the fact that this service is the first high-level automated transport service connecting a railway station to a business park. It is also important because L4 automation technology ensures safe and efficient travel.
Benjamin Beaudet, CEO of beti, highlighted the importance of their “hypervision” solution, which adds an extra layer of safety and ensures continuous system improvements. Patrick Vergelas, Head of Autonomous Mobility Projects at Renault Group, also emphasized the success of prior trials and the strong potential of the shuttle service to meet passenger transport needs.
The service will enter an initial learning phase from 10 March to 19 April, running Monday through Friday under real-world passenger conditions. This phase will demonstrate the system’s safety, reliability, and operational efficiency, with a second phase planned to begin in July.
So considering L4 autonomous tech is already being tested in France, when will Malaysia adopt this tech too?
