Car manufacturers are investing a lot of resources into developing increasingly advanced driver assistance systems to make driving safer and more comfortable. The Renault group has very clear ideas in this sector and intends to concentrate on its car offering. ADAS Level 2 or maximum Level 2+ (here we explain the different levels of autonomous driving). We are talking about systems such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist, which, however, require the driver to always be alert and ready to intervene if necessary.
Go beyond and offer level 3giving the driver the ability to take their hands off the steering wheel would have been technically possible for Groupe Renault, but this is not a short term priority. The French automaker explains:
There is a big difference in technological sophistication between L2 automation and L3 autonomy, as the vehicle must be able to navigate safely in challenging environments with limited driver control. At this stage, the costs that customers will have to bear, compared to the driving benefits, will make the demand insufficient or, in any case, negligible.
Thus, there is no Level 3 for cars at the moment, given that the costs that customers would have to bear to get these features would only result in limited benefits in everyday driving. For public transportHowever, things are different. In fact, Renault has a completely different strategy.
Groupe Renault has been moving forward for many years experiments to offer the best response to the needs of local authorities, as happened with the Mach 2 project, which, announced in 2023, will be realized in 2026 with a fleet of automated electric minibuses integrated into the public transport network of Chateauroux Metropole in France.
These tests will allow Groupe Renault to offer, in the long term, a driverless electric minibus platform based on the new Renault Master, capable of integrating automation solutions from specialized partners such as EasyMile, Milla and WeRide.
Now the French have announced what they have done new collaboration with WeRide for commercial development of Level 4 autonomous vehiclesthose. capable of independently managing traffic situations within a given range of actions, with remote monitoring, but without the presence of an operator on board.
In Europe, from May 26 to June 9, there will be a demonstration of the Roland Garros tennis tournament, when driverless minibuses will be used for transfers.
From 26 May to 9 June 2024, from 11:00 to 19:00, this experimental service will allow you to travel from the P2 car park (located near the Bois de Boulogne) to the Roland Garros stadium and after matches. , leave Roland-Garros and get to Place Porte d’Auteuil or return to car park P2.
Source: HD Motori
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