| First shuttle without an onboard safety operator, enters service in Châteauroux, France
Since June 22th, 2020, the shuttle new-generation “Autonom Shuttle Evo” has been in service at the CNTS, where is located the Keolis Autonomous Mobility Test Site, allowing athletes and visitors to use the shuttle service from the parking lot to the reception area and shooting areas during competitions. With a length of 1.6 km, the shuttle runs at a maximum speed close to 15 km/h. It operates in a closed site within mixed traffic, including one stop sign and intersections. To optimize the shuttle’s integration with its surroundings and to operate safely into its environment, the infrastructure of the site has been accommodated with visual signage such as panels, and special traffic rules have been established. This launch is a decisive step towards the development of a multimodal offer that integrates Level 4 fully self-driving vehicles, which provide real autonomy without an onboard safety operator under certain conditions, while ensuring the safety of passengers and other road users. Etienne Hermite, Chief Executive Officer of Navya explains: «The achievement of this fully autonomous level 4 service at the CNTS is a major step forward for our partners, and for autonomous driving in general. We are taking these steps one at a time, gradually increasing our level of technical expertise to meet increasingly ambitious challenges. Today, fully autonomous operations on closed sites are the first step in the progressive deployment of Level 4 autonomous mobility solutions, so that in the future we will be able to see them driving in more complex environments. » Jean Ghedira, Keolis Executive Director of Marketing & New Mobility added: «This first fully autonomous service at our test site in Châteauroux is a new key stage in the development of autonomous mobility services. Keolis is preparing for the deployment of full autonomy on open roads with the aim of guaranteeing optimum safety and quality of service for passengers, which remain our priorities as an operator. » |
| About Navya |
| Navya is a leading French name in the autonomous driving systems. With 280 employees in France (Paris and Lyon) and in the United States (Michigan), Navya aims at becoming the leading player for the supply of autonomous driving systems for passenger and goods transport. Since 2015, Navya has been the first to market and put into service autonomous mobility solutions. The Autonom® Shuttle, main development axis, was launched in September 2015 and nearly 160 units have been sold as of 31 December 2019, notably in the United States, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Australia. The Autonom® Tract is dedicated to goods transport. Created in 2014 with the support of Robolution Capital, investment fund managed by 360 Capital Partners, his reference shareholder, Navya’s shareholders also include the Gravitation fund and Paris Region Venture Fund (Région Île-de-France) managed by Cap Decisif Management as well as Valeo and Keolis groups. |