Beijing (Gasgoo)- On March 27, autonomous driving technology company WeRide announced that it has partnered with French autonomous mobility operator beti to obtain a fully driverless public road testing and operation permit in France.

Photo credit: WeRide

With this approval, WeRide becomes the first autonomous driving company to hold permits in five countries—China, the UAE, Singapore, France, and the U.S.—demonstrating its strong cross-market adaptability and compliance with international safety and regulatory standards.

France has a stringent regulatory framework for autonomous driving. Under the 2019 PACTE law, obtaining an autonomous vehicle permit requires approval from multiple government agencies, including the Directorate General for Energy and Climate, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Ecological Transition. WeRide and beti secured the permit in just three months, setting a record for autonomous driving companies in France. This achievement underscores WeRide's technological reliability and adherence to the highest European safety and operational standards.

The permit allows WeRide's autonomous shuttle (Robobus) to operate at speeds of up to 40 km/h, making it the fastest approved fully driverless public road test and operation permit in France to date.

On February 27, WeRide, beti, Renault Group, and Macif launched Europe's first public road Robobus commercial operation in Valence, France. The newly obtained permit provides regulatory assurance for the project, paving the way for large-scale deployment. The partners plan to implement a remote-assisted, multi-vehicle driverless commercial operation model by July 2025.

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