Paris la Défense Autonomous Vehicle

This pilot has trhee vehicles which operate on three different routes. These routes connect the main train/metro system. They have nine station based stops, follow fixed routes and their timing is frequency based. Along their way the shuttles encounter mixed traffic on a private estate and pedestrians crossing. The vehicles are wheelchair accessible.

The objective of this pilot is to offer a mobility solution for the employees of the area. La Défense is the most crowded Business area in Europe and probably one of the most complex area in the world for automated vehicles as it is a mainly pedestrian area with no traffic rules. The overarching aim of the project is to provide a first and last mile automated vehicle solution.

The project is financed by Ile-de-France Mobilités (after the RFP process, won by Keolis).

The site being private and with controlled access for vehicles, no official approval of the French Ministry in charge was needed.

The pilot encountered some challenges to find a way in the middle of a heavy crowd during peak hours (even with added lanes on the ground). Another challenge was being able to receive a strong GPS signal in the middle of the skyscrapers.

At the end of the trial, 40,000 people had been transported and a distance of 8,000 km had been covered at an average operational speed of 6km/h. The customer satisfaction was rated at 93% according to a survey made by Ile de France Mobilités.