Renault Group's vision for autonomous driving

Much has been said and written about the autonomous vehicle. As early as 2016, some were even convinced that fully autonomous vehicles would appear in 2025.??

It seems to me that, at this stage of technical knowledge, regulations, induced costs and even real customer expectations and needs, this target of a 100% autonomous vehicle for the general public appears to be wishful thinking, if not a myth.?

However, this does not mean that we should abandon the quest towards automated driving for the sake of greater comfort and safety for our customers. Furthermore, this technology crystallizes a large proportion of technological innovations, particularly in the field of algorithms and software.?

When it comes to automated and autonomous driving, there is a consensus on five levels. From level 1, "feet off", integrating primary driving aids such as emergency braking assistance or cruise control, to level 5, the ultimate level, "Driverless, 100% autonomous", where the vehicle evolves in all contexts without human intervention inside the vehicle and without external supervision.?

There's a real gap between level 2, "hands off", and level 3, "eyes off", which corresponds to the first level where responsibility is shared between the driver and the automaker.?

For mass-market vehicles, the technological complexity gap between level 2 automation and level 3 autonomy, with shared responsibility, makes the cost prohibitive for the 雷诺 brands.??

Why this difference in complexity between levels 2 and 3???

Because we need to guarantee an optimum level of safety. Here, we're talking about a tolerance of less than one problem for billions driving hours in a variety of environments, whether in urban use, which is by definition complex, or at high speeds on roads or freeways, systems need to be extremely responsive in all types of situations.?

To ensure this level of safety, it is necessary to introduce a large number of elaborate and costly sensors (cameras, radar belts, Lidar), computers and redundant architecture (steering, braking, energy).?

This, despite the fact that the vast majority of customer expectations in terms of safety and ease of driving are already met with a fully-developed level 2.?

At Renault Group, our strategy for the coming years is crystal clear. We want to focus on level 2 or even 2+ automation (contextual response) for the mass-market car, with the introduction of numerous driving aids that make our vehicles particularly safe and pleasant to drive.?

As evidence, no less than 26 ADAS* on Megane E-Tech electric and 32 ADAS on Renault Austral, Renault Espace or Renault Rafale put us at the top of the market. For instance, our vehicles already automatically adapt their speed when arriving at a roundabout or negotiating tight bends.? And for future generations, we're working on even more advanced functions at high and low speeds, including, for example, automatic overtaking on freeways.?

Given current market conditions and expectations, we are currently focusing on level 2 / 2+, while ensuring that our vehicle architectures can eventually evolve towards autonomous cars, if expectations, regulations or technology costs make this breakthrough possible.??

Autonomous shuttles: the future of public transport?

When it comes to public transport, on the other hand, we are convinced that level 4 autonomous shuttles, operating in controlled usage environments (ODD for Operational Design Domain), are a relevant and complementary offer to the public transport modes currently in use in our territories.?

In this case, the playing field is much more controlled and therefore simplified; because the shuttles' route is well defined and fully mapped; because they travel at a lower speed, between 30 and 70 km/h; and because they can be supervised remotely. In this context, the technical stakes remain high, but they are much lower than for a private vehicle traveling "freely" on open roads.?

And in this case, the cost of the technology required to automate public transport shuttles is offset by the savings in driver costs and intensive use 7 days a week, and potentially 24 hours a day.?

These autonomous shuttles are thus seen by local authorities and public transport organiszers as an attractive alternative to existing solutions. They are more agile and flexible than a tramway, whose infrastructure is permanent. They also solve the problem of recruiting bus drivers. And they are much cheaper to buy, because these mobility objects will be obtained from the transformation of our future Master.?

Convinced of the benefits of autonomous public transport, we have been testing solutions for several years to meet the needs of local authorities. These include real-life experiments in Rouen and Saclay, on Paris suburbs. We'll be continuing in 2026 in Chateauroux and other areas.?

A few years ago, we had the foresight to invest in what was then a start-up, the Chinese company WeRide . Today, this company is at the cutting edge of technology in this field, and is already running several hundred vehicles of this type in Asia and the Gulf States, and soon in Europe with Renault Group.?

Renault Group strongly believes in its business model?

The market is there for this type of offer. In Europe alone, where 400 cities will gradually have to become Low Emission or carbon-neutral zones while guaranteeing the mobility of their citizens, the Group estimates the market at several thousand shuttles by 2035. It's a relevant transport solution for local authorities; a flexible and complementary connection solution for the development of their territory.

At a time when others are still talking in terms of concepts, Renault Group is showing its ambitions and, before the end of this decade, we will be able to propose a very concrete offer of autonomous shuttle vehicles based on our brand-new Master, converted for passenger transport and pre-equipped for automation.?

Our partners will equip these Masters with their own software and, once they have been offered to a region, will supervise the routes of this new mode of collective, clean and autonomous transport.?

We've clearly identified the needs of the territories. We've already structured our offer. We have specialist partners who are genuinely interested. We're really on track for autonomous public transportation!?