May 30, 2023
A first in public transportation:
A French consortium is set to deploy fully autonomous minibuses in downtown Châteauroux
- This consortium, composed of six major players in the mobility sector - Alstom, EasyMile, Equans, Keolis, Renault Group and StatInf —is preparing to launch a new automated public transit service at Level 4 (with no operator on board) that is carbon-free.
- A fleet of 6-meter-long automated electric minibuses will be integrated into the public transit network of Châteauroux Metropolis in 2026.
- Selected as the winner of the “Automated Road Mobility” call for projects, “Connected and Low-Carbon Service Infrastructures” under France 2030, this pilot project has received support from the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion as well as from Bpifrance.
The first deployment on this scale of a Level 4 autonomous mobility service, this project—known as Mach2—marks a decisive milestone in the development of automated public transportation in France, and more broadly in Europe. Set to begin operations in 2026 in downtown Châteauroux (Indre), the service will be integrated into the city’s “Horizon” bus network and operated by Keolis.
The consortium brings together France’s leading mobility companies, each contributing its area of expertise: Renault Group for the robotic electric minibus platform, EasyMile for the autonomous driving system, StatInf for the validation of critical software components, Equans for the Operations Support and Passenger Information system, Alstom for connected safety infrastructure and communication protocols, and Keolis for the operation and maintenance of these new public transportation services.
A Technological and Industrial Breakthrough for a Tailored Service
This project addresses all aspects of autonomous mobility to enable the provision of a genuine public transportation service and to strengthen France’s leadership in this emerging market:
The vehicle being developed will be significantly larger and faster than the autonomous shuttles currently in use.
The project also addresses the complex issue of interactions with priority vehicles, as well as that of connectivity with infrastructure such as traffic lights. The concept of supervision will be thoroughly reimagined to enable a single supervisor to manage a fleet of vehicles and ensure the economic viability of this new mode of transportation.
Finally, all of these elements will demonstrate compliance with the strictest standards in terms of safety at both the French and European levels.