Will Renault’s Autonomous Minibuses Leave Bus Drivers Searching for New Jobs?

Renault and WeRide are on a mission to reinvent public transport – and they plan to do it without drivers. After a successful trial at the Roland-Garros tennis tournament, where two autonomous electric minibuses transported 700 passengers over 1,000 km, interest in this futuristic technology has skyrocketed.

Barcelona is a place where even Google Maps gets lost, but Renault believes its minibuses can handle the chaos. In March, two fully autonomous electric shuttles hit the streets on a 2.2-kilometer open-road circuit in the heart of the city. The goal? To prove that this isn’t just a high-tech gimmick but a real, functional solution for navigating dense urban traffic—without creating even more congestion than human-driven vehicles.

Meanwhile, in Valence, France, Renault is making the daily commute smoother than ever. A 3.3-kilometer route connecting the TGV railway station to a major business park is being tested for full automation. By July 2025, these minibuses could be operating without a driver, making autonomous public transport a present-day reality, not science fiction.

If there’s one place where precision and reliability are non-negotiable, it’s an airport. At Zurich Airport, Renault is testing its self-driving minibuses between terminals, proving that they can meet rigorous safety standards. If they can master this highly controlled environment, expect them to appear on city streets – and maybe even in your own neighborhood – very soon.

Renault is convinced that autonomous public transport is the future. While L2+ driver-assistance systems remain the industry standard for personal vehicles, public transport is already ready for full L4 automation—meaning minibuses can operate independently, without a driver, under remote supervision.