Robot shuttle bus set to roll out at Zurich Airport in coming months
January 17, 2025
WeRide has deployed its Robobus autonomous shuttle service at Zurich Airport in Switzerland. The introduction of the buses marks a milestone in bringing autonomous mobility to a major European hub.
Zurich Airport in collaboration with Flughafen Zurich AG and Swiss Transit Lab unveiled WeRide’s Robobus at the end of 2024 with the vehicle expected to enter service in Q1,2025. The first commercial autonomous bus shuttle project at a European Airport, Robobus can accommodate nine passengers and will be used to supplement the existing airside shuttle service for employees of companies that operate at the airport.
It will run along a dedicated route on the apron that is away from flight operations and in the first phase a safety driver will be on board while the vehicle transitions to remote monitoring operations. WeRides’ autonomous taxi, Robotaxi, was used to complete route mapping at the air transport hub ahead of the Robobus commencing operations.
Located at the foot of the Alps, Zurich Airport’s climatic conditions and complex operational environment have also had to be addressed prior to launching operations. WeRide’s extensive testing and validation across more than 30 countries have enabled it to overcome these challenges and the Robobus was also successfully tested in a live environment in Paris by WeRide and its European partner Renault at the Paris Open last year.
According to a spokesperson at Zurich Airport, “WeRide possesses a fully developed and thoroughly tested technology, meets all the legal and safety requirements in place at Zurich Airport.”
Expanding WeRide’s European presence
Since announcing its collaboration with Zurich Airport, WeRide has been confirmed as the technology provider for an innovative new autonomous driving pilot project in Switzerland.
Other European airports currently testing technologies for autonomous vehicles include Brussels and Amsterdam, both of which Zurich Airport is working closely with to share its findings allow for a comprehensive set of rules to be developed for the safe and efficient operation of self-driving vehicles.
