French autonomous driving systems provider Navya has embarked on a number of new collaborations in Germany, the company’s main market. The collaborations include the sale of nine autonomous shuttles, bringing the total of the firm’s shuttles sold in the country to 16.

Germany has adopted a legal framework for level 4 autonomous vehicles, allowing driverless vehicles to operate in regular service on open roads.

Navya has worked with Valeo Group and other partners in Germany, on the deployment of six Autonom Shuttles within the framework of the SMO (Shuttle Modellregion Oberfranken) project. 

Spread over three towns in northern Bavaria (Hof, Rehau, Kronach), the shuttles, currently in the deployment phase, carry passengers on open road. They are equipped by Valeo with sensors and data acquisition tools, in addition to the components already present in Navya’s systems. 

As with previous deployments, Navya has carried out in-situ operator training. 

In Hof, two shuttles travel on open roads on a two mile route connecting the train station with the rest of the city and including access to a pedestrian zone. The operation is carried out by Regionalbus Ostbayern GmbH, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, and is integrated into the public transport network.

In Rehau, two shuttles provide transport on public roads for employees of the Rehau AG company, from the parking area to the factories and administrative buildings. This service is planned to become open to the public later in 2021.

In Kronach, two shuttles are deployed operated by Omnibusverkehr Franken GmbH, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn. This service complements the public transport network with a route of almost two miles from the upper town to the Rosenberg fortress.

In addition to these new deployments, Navya has nearly twenty other deployments in Germany. 

Since 2021 two shuttles have run on open roads in Regensburg on a track operated by Das Stadtwerk Regensburg Mobilität GmbH. In Berlin, in a deployment operated by BVG completed in mid-2020, two shuttles are operated at the Charité Hospital. In Frankfurt, several deployments lasting a few months have been carried out by RMV, notably at the Wiesbaden clinic and around Eberbach Abbey. In Hamburg an open road service consisting of two shuttles and operated by TUHH has complemented the bus network of the village of Lauenburg/Elbe since the end of 2019, while on the island of Sylt a shuttle ran until the end of 2020 in the village of Keitum.

Etienne Hermite, CEO of Navya, said “These new deployments within sites providing major technological challenges confirm Navya’s strong momentum on the German market and consolidate its position as the leading company for the supply of level 4 autonomous driving systems. As Germany initiates the world’s first regulation dedicated to autonomous vehicles, the numerous projects in which Navya is involved in this country are proof of the added value of our offer and the maturity of our technology supporting innovative mobility solutions. Alongside leading manufacturers such as Valeo, Navya’s long-standing partner in France and in Germany, the Company continues to develop its technology with the aim of offering a commercial solution for both goods and passengers transport”.