A fleet of driverless electric minibuses will become part of the public transport system in the town of Châteauroux (population 43,000) starting in 2026. A consortium of six mobility companies, including Alstom, EasyMile, Keolis, and Renault, is preparing for the introduction of Level 4 autonomous driving.
The pilot project was awarded as the winner of a project call “France 2030” on the topic of “Automated road mobility, networked and emission-free service infrastructures” and received support from the French Ministry for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion as well as from Bpifrance, a bank comparable to the German KfW for supporting public benefit projects and enterprises.
The project, known as "Mach2," is the first deployment of a Level 4 autonomous mobility service of this scale and marks a crucial step in the development of automated public transport in France and Europe. The service will be integrated into the city's "Horizon" bus network and operated by Keolis.
The consortium unites French market leaders in the field of mobility, each contributing their specific expertise: Renault Group the robotized electric minibus platform, EasyMile the autonomous driving system, StatInf the validation of critical software elements, Equans the computer-aided dispatch and the Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) system, Alstom for the connected safety infrastructure and communication protocols, and Keolis for the operation and maintenance of these new public transport services.
The vehicle being developed is intended to be significantly larger and faster than currently used autonomous shuttles. The project also addresses the complex issue of interaction with emergency vehicles and integration with traffic light infrastructure. The monitoring concept is being revised in detail to allow a central supervisor to oversee and control the entire fleet, thereby ensuring the viability of the operating model for this new mode of transport. Compliance with strict safety standards at the French and European levels is also part of the plan.
The planned 6-meter minibus from the Renault range meets the requirements of public transport and the demands of both public and private stakeholders in terms of safety, passenger satisfaction and business development.
The project benefits from the official support of Châteauroux Métropole, the Indre department, the Ministry of the Interior, and the PFA (Plateforme Automobile), as well as support from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion and Bpifrance. It demonstrates the relevance of this type of technology for medium-sized cities as well.
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