Autonomous driving tech company, WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ: WRD), has been selected to be the technology provider for a new autonomous driving pilot project in Switzerland.
The project is financed by the Swiss national railway Schwizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) in cahoots with the Canton of Zurich, and managed by the Swiss Transit Lab (STL). WeRide also announced on Tuesday it will provide products and operational support.
During the test phase, two autonomous cars equipped with WeRide technology will serve passengers. Operations begin in the second quarter, deploying up to four vehicles. The fully unmanned mode will operate for up to five years. The company will add eight more autonomous vehicles to its fleet by 2026.
Automated vehicles will first operate in Switzerland’s Furttal Region, allowing residents to book rides through an app provided by ioki.
“The launch of the Swiss public transportation service pilot project demonstrates WeRide’s commitment to expanding autonomous driving solutions in Europe,” said Tony Han, WeRide founder and CEO.
“From large sports events to airport operations to public transportation services, our solutions have proven their excellent adaptability in various scenarios.”
In Switzerland, trains connect major cities and towns as the primary transportation arteries. The Federal Office of Transport (FOT) reports that Swiss residents take the train about 70 times a year on average. This is the highest rate in Europe. Despite this, suburban areas have limited transportation options. SBB, Switzerland’s state-owned railway company established in 1902, operates a 3,000-kilometer network and serves as one of the project’s key investors.
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The project is WeRide’s third in Europe
The Canton of Zurich is the second-largest investor and STL is the project manager. They are both committed to advancing innovative mobility solutions. By utilizing WeRide’s autonomous driving technology, these parties aim to expand Switzerland’s intelligent transportation network.
This project marks WeRide’s third in Europe within eight months. Recently, WeRide launched Europe’s first commercial autonomous minibus project at Zurich Airport and provided L4 autonomous shuttle services during the 2024 French Open in Paris.
The selection of WeRide’s technology reaffirms the versatility of the WeRide One autonomous driving platform, its adaptability across different products, and the strong interest in WeRide’s technology, products, and services in Europe.
The minibus deal is part of a partnership between WeRide, Flughafen Zürich AG and Swiss Transit Lab. It launched Europe’s first commercial autonomous minibus service, the Robobus Shuttle, at Zurich Airport.
This project uses WeRide’s cutting-edge L4 autonomous driving technology to offer passengers seamless, driverless transportation.
“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.
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