Mobility company Bolt and automotive manufacturer Stellantis have announced plans to introduce autonomous vehicles to Paris from 2028.
The pilot programme, known as the Greater Paris Autonomous Driving Living Lab, will be run in partnership with Métropole du Grand Paris, which represents central Paris and 129 surrounding municipalities.
In a statement, the organisations said the aim of the project was to “explore how autonomous mobility technologies can be integrated into European cities, potentially providing a model for wider adoption”.
The programme will be submitted to the European Commission’s Autonomous Drive Ambition Cities (ADACities) initiative, which is designed to support the wider deployment of autonomous mobility across EU cities.
Phase one of the pilot in 2028 will see autonomous vehicles deployed in five areas of north-west Paris to assess operational performance, safety and integration with public transport networks. It will then be extended to a wider area of the city with the “ambition” to start commercial operations by 2030.
Patrick Ollier, president of the Métropole du Grand Paris, said: “We aim to assess the potential of autonomous mobility to meet transport needs, complement existing public transport and contribute to more sustainable mobility. This experiment will also help inform public decision-making and define the conditions for potential wider deployment.”
Markus Villig, Bolt’s founder and CEO, emphasised that autonomous vehicles will “only matter if they solve real transport problems”.
“In Greater Paris, we’re working with local authorities and our partners to build a shared service around local needs — from connecting people with public transport to serving journeys that are harder to make today,” added Villig.
The announcement of the Paris pilot project comes just weeks after Uber and AI company Wayve launched autonomous robotaxi rides in London, with a mandatory human “safety” driver in the front seat. Rival firm Waymo is also currently testing and mapping its autonomous cars in London but commercial services are not yet available to the public.