The Renault-Nissan Alliance and Transdev are to jointly explore development of mobility services with fleets of electric driverless vehicles for public and on-demand transportation.

Transdev is a pioneer in autonomous vehicle (AV) services. The company is engaged in a series of pilot AV deployments in multiple countries and is currently operating the world’s first commercial driverless service on EDF’s campus in Civaux, France.

The companies will collaborate to develop a comprehensive, modular transportation system to enable clients to book rides, and mobility operators to monitor and operate self-driving car fleets.

“As the mobility services landscape keeps evolving, we have a great opportunity to offer innovative, connected mobility solutions for the evolving needs of our customers, fully aligned with our vision of a zero-emission, zero-fatalities society,” said Ogi Redzic, Renault-Nissan Alliance senior vice- president of Connected Vehicles and Mobility Services.

“Partnering with Transdev allows us to share our knowledge as leaders in electric vehicles, autonomous drive and connected-car technologies with one of the largest multi-modal mobility operators worldwide. Together we will develop an advanced driverless mobility system that will enhance existing public and on-demand transport systems,” he added.

The research will initially include field tests in Paris-Saclay with the Renault Zoe, the leading electric vehicle in Europe, and Transdev’s on-demand dispatch, supervision and routing platform.

“The future of mobility will be P.A.C.E. –  Personalised, Autonomous, Connected and Electric,” said Yann Leriche, chief performance officer at Transdev. “As a worldwide leader in public transport and on-demand shared services, we are committed to pioneer in mobility to always offer our clients the best solutions for their journeys. Our partnership with Renault-Nissan will reinforce our innovation capabilities and accelerate our time-to-market by combining our strengths with those of a global car manufacturer that shares the same willingness to enhance daily mobility to the benefit of clients.”

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has been forming partnerships to accelerate the development of advanced connected-car technologies and mobility services. These include a partnership with Microsoft to develop a single global platform that will improve the customer experience by making driving more intuitive, intelligent and fun; and a partnership with Japanese internet company DeNA to begin tests in Japan to develop driverless vehicles for commercial services.