On May 26, the globally leading autonomous driving technology company WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ: WRD, HKEX: 0800) announced it will once again partner with Renault Group to deploy autonomous shuttles during the 2026 French Open (Roland-Garros). This marks the third consecutive year of collaboration between the two parties for this premier global sporting event. Since 2024, WeRide's autonomous shuttles have been the exclusive designated autonomous public transit service at the French Open, showcasing next-generation self-driving technology.
As one of the world's most prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the French Open is held annually at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, attracting top players and hundreds of thousands of spectators. The high-density, high-frequency transportation demands at the venue provide a real-world, complex environment for WeRide to demonstrate the maturity and safety of its autonomous technology.
To ensure safe and efficient on-site transit, the French autonomous mobility operator beti will serve as the vehicle operator, managing daily operations. During the 2026 tournament, the WeRide shuttle will operate on a 2.8-kilometer route with an approximate 12-minute one-way travel time. The route runs along Avenue de la Porte d'Auteuil, traversing the Roland-Garros stadium and efficiently connecting three key transfer points: Carrefour des Anciens Combattants, the Gate 5 Village Welcome Desk, and Porte d'Auteuil.
The autonomous shuttle service will operate from May 24 to June 7, running in three daily time slots: 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and 10:00 PM to midnight. Following the successful implementation of night service in 2025, this represents the second consecutive year of nighttime operations, offering more convenient round-the-clock travel for evening session spectators and event staff.
This deployment further deepens the autonomous driving collaboration between WeRide and Renault Group in Europe. In March 2025, the partners launched a fully driverless Robobus commercial operation in Drôme, France, and initiated a Robobus trial service in central Barcelona, Spain, the same month, marking Spain's first L4 autonomous driving pilot project on public roads. These developments underscore their joint commitment to advancing the commercialization of autonomous driving in Europe.
Europe is a crucial market in WeRide's global strategy. Currently, the company's autonomous driving operations are established in four European markets: France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Slovakia. Beyond France and Spain, WeRide's Robobus has commenced regular commercial operations in Belgium and has removed the front-seat safety operator at Zurich Airport, moving closer to fully driverless commercial deployment. Simultaneously, WeRide's fully driverless Robotaxi service is set to launch in the Furttal region of Zurich, Switzerland.
In March 2026, WeRide also announced its entry into the Slovakian market, participating in Europe's first large-scale, multi-product-line autonomous driving commercial deployment project. As its European business continues to expand, WeRide is accelerating the large-scale implementation of autonomous mobility services across global markets.