China-Made Automatic Drive Coach on the Road in France

A China-made automatic drive coach has gone into trial operation in Paris, France.

Manufactured by CRRC Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CRRC Corporation Limited (CRRC), the coach is operating on the No. 393 route of RATP Group, an official transport provider in the country.

It takes the coach about 40 minutes to finish the 6-kilometer-long route with 10 bus stations and 26 traffic lights.

Benjamin Joliviere, head of the autonomous bus project of RATP Group, said the results of the trial were quite positive.

Peng Zhichuan, director of the automatic drive department of CRRC Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd., said the coach was designed in 2020. With a 12-meter-long body, the coach can analyze pedestrian and vehicle traffic, as well as road conditions, in real time with its "smart" driving features.

Christelle Tang, president of Clement Bayard, CRRC's partner in France, said the operation of the coach will help Chinese technology adapt to the French market.

The coach is scheduled to start passenger service in autumn 2022.

(Executive editor: Niu Yilin)