ZURICH, Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ: WRD), a global leader in autonomous driving technology, today announced deployment of its Robobus autonomous shuttle service at Zurich Airport in partnership with Flughafen Zürich AG and Swiss Transit Lab (STL), marking a significant milestone in bringing autonomous mobility solutions to a major European aviation hub, and building on WeRide's successful European operations, including its recent autonomous shuttle service at Roland-Garros during the 2024 French Open.
The WeRide Robobus, which accommodates nine passengers, will be the first commercial autonomous bus shuttle project at a European airport. It will serve airport employees along a dedicated route connecting the employee entrance at gate 101 to the maintenance area at gate 130. Service will begin in the first quarter of 2025.
Flughafen Zürich AG is working with airports in Brussels and Amsterdam that are also testing technologies for autonomous vehicles. Before the start of test Robobus operations, WeRide's autonomous taxi, Robotaxi, completed route mapping at Zurich Airport, demonstrating that WeRide's Robotaxi will have more applications in Switzerland.
At the foot of the Alps, Zurich Airport presents severe challenges to autonomous driving technology due to complex operational environment and climatic conditions. WeRide successfully overcame these challenges with its strong technical capabilities and rich implementation experience, providing a mature and reliable solution.
The Zurich Airport service follows the successful deployment in Paris, where Robobus provided efficient shuttle services on a five-kilometer route during the French Open, as part of an ongoing collaboration with Renault Group to promote low-carbon public transportation solutions.
The Robobus deployment leverages WeRide's advanced autonomous driving technology, which has undergone extensive testing and validation across more than 30 cities in seven countries. The initial phase at Zurich Airport includes a safety driver on board, with plans to transition to remote monitoring operations.
"WeRide possesses a fully developed and thoroughly tested technology, meets all of the legal and safety requirements in place at Zurich Airport and guarantees that it will meet the data protection requirements set out," Flughafen Zürich AG said in a statement.
The Company will work with Swiss Transit Lab to ensure smooth operation of the service.
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