An autonomous shuttle will soon serve an industrial zone near Nice -

20 Minutes

  • A first 100% electric autonomous shuttle will be operational in the Carros - Le Broc industrial zone from 2022.

  • This innovation was designed to complete a mobility offer that already exists within the metropolis, and to meet the needs of users.

  • A second vehicle will be presented in March, capable of carrying up to 18 people, like an electric minibus.

"We want to make life easier for users when they travel", launches Professor Pierre-Jean Barre, director of Imredd (Mediterranean Institute for Risk, Environment and Sustainable Development), proud to present the first autonomous shuttle 100 % electricity in the territory of Nice after four years of development.

“More than 11,000 people come to the Carros - Le Broc industrial zone every day and, for 85% of them, it is with their personal car,” he continues.

“Through a first phase of research, we were able to analyze whether a project like this was legitimate to take root in the setting”.

And the answer is yes.

The purpose of the autonomous shuttle is to supplement the already existing mobility offer in the metropolis.

“We want to make it possible for a person to avoid borrowing a car to travel two kilometers to get to the first tram, for example.

The vehicle will also be able to transport a user who wishes to take a blue bicycle to a place where bicycles are available ”, adds Pierre-Jean Barre.

A shuttle for an à la carte transport offer

Marc Raiola, President of Côte d'Azur Industries Carros Le Broc, confirms: “In Carros - Le Broc, some companies have several sites.

Currently, employees take their personal cars to go from one place to another.

The shuttle would make it possible to be more practical and more ecological.

"

Concretely, after the various arrangements to be made in the industrial zone for optimal practice, in 2022, a user will be able to call, through a smartphone application, the shuttle to take him to the place of his choice.

However, this experiment will have to be validated by the metropolis, which supports and finances the project up to 750,000 euros (out of a total of over 4.5 million euros).

“We want to link rural villages to business areas and not use it in a hypercentre, where the mobility offer is already complete,” says Frédéric Mathis, co-founder and CEO of the French company Milla Pod, who has designed the shuttle.

“Depending on needs, we can increase or decrease the range, currently 150 kilometers.

In March, a second product will be presented that can accommodate up to 18 people.

We will really perform an on-demand service.

According to Frédéric Mathis, three shuttles would be necessary for the Carros site.

Ultimately, the service would run 24 hours a day, seven days a week and cost no more than a tram or bus ticket.

An autonomous vehicle ... but with a supervisor on board

"Today, the vehicle has been designed according to the needs of the territory", adds the director of Imredd.

“The shuttle is capable of climbing slopes, it is electric [the mayor announced 100% carbon-free public transport by 2025], secure and it is possible to regain control thanks to a steering wheel.

Autonomous, it goes at 50 km / h, when driving, it reaches 80 km / h ”.

According to the legislation, a supervisor is required to be present on board so that the autonomous shuttle can run.

It is directly linked to an operator in the control center.

Even today, the various players are working on the algorithms to be integrated into the machine to secure it.

"We must capture all the data from" real life "to adapt the programming of the shuttle, such as double-lined cars or bicycles that burn the lights," says Pierre-Jean Barre.

The shuttle is equipped with sensors but also with cameras and radars.

Frédéric Mathis adds: “Several routes are determined, the roads are scanned with an accuracy of five centimeters.

Another important point of a development in the territory: 5G is essential, according to the automaker.

An autonomous car of this kind costs around 150,000 euros, "the same price as an electric bus," says the CEO.

Other Milla shuttles have already been in service for a year in Vézily-Villacoublay (Yvelines) and support nearly 100 users each day.

High Tech

Videtics, a Sophipolitan start-up wants to "protect citizens" thanks to artificial intelligence and video surveillance

High Tech

SFR makes Nice the first 5G connected city

  • High Tech

  • 20 minutes video

  • Autonomous car

  • New technologies

  • Innovation

  • Technology

  • Nice