Europe develops autonomous driving shuttle buses: huge investment
Produced by ZhiNeng Tech
With the attention sparked by Robo Ride, discussions have emerged about whether there have been breakthroughs in autonomous driving transportation solutions globally.
In Europe, where substantial initial investment is required, some automotive suppliers have halted related projects, while others continue to persevere.
The autonomous transportation system market oscillates between high expectations and significant upfront development costs. Without a network of partners, no single player is willing to take the plunge.
01
Bold Attempts by the Brave
● Renault
Renault is developing an electric autonomous shuttle platform compatible with multiple partners' automation technologies, aiming to fill the public transportation gap in over 400 low-emission cities across Europe. Participating in the "Mach2" project, Renault plans to introduce automated electric minibuses in Châteauroux by 2026, based on the Renault Master platform, collaborating with EasyMile, Milla, and WeRide, replacing drivers with remote monitoring. Partnering with WeRide, the goal is to commercialize Level 4 autonomous vehicles, leveraging the latter's experience of over 28 million kilometers in operation.
Renault's CTO Gilles Le Borgne envisions launching a series of autonomous, low-carbon minibuses by the end of the decade to meet global demand.
● Benteler
Benteler is optimistic about the shuttle market, attracting investment from Tasaru Mobility Investments, which holds a 38% stake, securing funding for the Holon Mover series. Benteler plans mass production by the end of 2026, with factories in Europe and elsewhere, prioritizing Germany, and expects the first shuttles to enter pilot operations in 2025.
Benteler CEO Ralf Göttel notes that demand for autonomous vehicles is growing faster than supply, particularly in the urban micro-transport market. Research predicts a market potential of over 700,000 vehicles within a decade, with the company also expanding into vehicle-related services like spare parts and maintenance.
02
ZF and Continental Bow Out
Supplier ZF once had similar plans. ZF's aftermarket organization was to handle service and maintenance. The global people mover market is estimated at over €200 billion. The freight industry is even larger. But by the end of 2023, ZF abandoned its shuttle plans.
The group is no longer committed to providing complete autonomous transportation systems, including shuttles and fleet management. ZF cited high upfront investment as one reason for the decision. Going forward, the supplier aims to focus on its role as a provider of autonomous driving technologies.
Continental has also halted progress on itsCUbE (Continental Urban Mobility Experience) development platform. "Our CUbE platform was a pre-development project for autonomous driving technologies," the supplier stated. The skills and findings from this research are now applied to current products, leading to continuous optimization of development processes. Continental's platform was based on vehicles from its partner EasyMile. Today, EasyMile shuttles use Continental components for mass production and are deployed in public and private projects worldwide.
Continental expects commercial systems to grow significantly in the coming years, primarily in two areas: autonomous taxis in urban environments and large autonomous trucks in long-haul transport. In this context, the supplier highlighted its partnership with U.S. firm Aurora. Autonomous truck systems are being co-developed, with plans for mass production in the U.S. starting in 2027.
Summary
Europe's approach to autonomous driving development has been marked by hesitation and conservatism.
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