NAVYA (FR0013018041-Navya), a leader in autonomous mobility systems, announces it has joined the Movin’On Autonomous Vehicle Community of Interest, launched by the MACIF, with a view to speeding up the deployment of sustainable and shared mobility solutions in rural areas and peri-urban zones.
The Autonomous Vehicle Community of Interest was set up in 2019 by the MACIF and is hosted by the Movin’On LAB, launched by Michelin. It is made up of 13 companies, including NAVYA, and brings together a large number of public and private players from science and politics as well as from the voluntary sector, whose common vision is to provide a more inclusive and sustainable form of mobility through the deployment of shared self-driving shuttles in the field.
Autonomous mobility offers an exciting, innovative solution to people living in rural areas who currently have little or no access to shared means of transport, and NAVYA‘s self-driving shuttles represent a practical response to this need. Opening up rural areas, combating transport inequality, connecting isolated communities and peri-urban residential zones, providing better access to the workplace and cultural events, reinvigorating social interaction, fostering the return of activities and entertainment to town centers, improving the mobility of vulnerable members of society are just a few of the new possibilities that NAVYA’s shuttles offer for the benefit of all.
Through the actions of the Movin’On Autonomous Vehicle Community of Interest the capabilities of the autonomous vehicle have already been explored from an environmental, economic, social and societal point of view, and a number of use cases relating to the real needs of rural areas and peri-urban zones have been identified.
A survey of 1,090 members of local authorities conducted by the Autonomous Vehicle Community of Interest in partnership with the Association des Maires Ruraux de France (the Rural Mayors of France Association) has provided insight into how they envisage mobility in general and autonomous mobility in particular. Its findings revealed that 66% of respondents thought that autonomous mobility would be a good thing for their area. However, 77% considered that its deployment would be difficult.
With the arrival of NAVYA and beti, the operator of NAVYA’s self-driving shuttle, the Movin’On Autonomous Vehicle Community of Interest will benefit from the experience gained from the deployment of beti over five months between Crest and the Val de Drôme Ecosite, with the aim of replicating the experimental operation throughout rural France.
Yann Arnaud, the MACIF’s Director of Innovation and Societal Needs and head of the Movin’On Autonomous Vehicle Community of Interest: “Up until now, autonomous vehicles have mostly been viewed from a technological and urban point of view. In contrast to this, the Autonomous Vehicle Community of Interest, launched within the Movin’On ecosystem, is now questioning which direction the technology should take and how it should be guided. Our challenge is how to apply the logics of progress to automated mobility so that it serves the greatest number, not just a privileged few, but where it is most needed. Its motto reflects a strong bias: ‘Mobility for all, autonomy for all, via the shared autonomous vehicle’, thus contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable form of mobility in rural areas and peri-urban zones.“
Benjamin Beaudet, Managing Director of beti: “Since 2018, Navya and beti have continually worked hand-in-hand on our projects to respond to the high stakes of mobility, in rural areas in particular. The common DNA of beti and NAVYA is illustrated in #FaireEnsemble, and now resonates within the Movin’On LAB’s Autonomous Vehicle Community of Interest alongside top ranking companies. We are very pleased to see how NAVYA is contributing its large range of solutions and its pragmatic operational approach.“
Sophie Desormière, CEO of NAVYA: “Joining the Movin’On Autonomous Vehicle Community of Interest is an important step for NAVYA. While autonomous mobility is often associated with towns and the emergence of smart cities, we will demonstrate how self-driving shuttles bring equal value to rural areas and peri-urban zones. The communities that are based there have a real need for practical solutions and we will work with them on use cases that are replicable on a large scale. Through this collaboration we will develop an inclusive form of mobility, which contributes to a shared autonomous future and enriches the life of the community. NAVYA has the technology, skills and cutting-edge expertise, in particular in software and data engineering, and commands the operational excellence to provide innovative, safe, clean solutions, that are not only adapted to all use cases but also ensure that they are economically viable.“
