(Yicai) Jan. 15 -- Chinese startup WeRide has become the official technology supplier for a new autonomous driving pilot project in Switzerland.

Residents in four municipalities in the Furttal region will be able to book rides on driverless cars powered by WeRide technology on the ioki vehicle app from the second quarter of this year, the Guangzhou-based company announced yesterday. Pilot operations will later be expanded to three more municipalities.

The project was founded by the Canton of Zurich and Swiss national railway operator Schweizerische Bundesbahnen and is managed by the Swiss Transit Lab. WeRide will provide products and operational support.

WeRide will initially deploy four autonomous cars when trial operations start, with the fleet expected to expand with eight additional ones next year, the firm added. The vehicles will operate in a fully unmanned mode for up to five years.

The decision to choose WeRide as technology supplier demonstrates that the company's leading Level-4 autonomous driving technology and operational experience have again been recognized by the international market, WeRide pointed out.

"The launch of the Swiss public transportation service pilot project demonstrates WeRide's commitment to expanding autonomous driving solutions in Europe," said Tony Han, founder and chief executive officer of WeRide. "From large sports events to airport operations to public transportation services, our solutions have proven their excellent adaptability in various scenarios.

"Through deep cooperation with SBB, the Canton of Zurich, and STL, we are bringing leading L4 autonomous driving technology and mature solutions to local towns in Switzerland, not only providing practical assistance to complement the local public transportation network and improve travel efficiency for residents but also accumulating valuable experience for exploring the widespread application of intelligent transportation in Europe," Han added.

This cooperation project in Switzerland is the third WeRide has launched in Europe within eight months. On Jan. 9, WeRide announced the launch of Europe's first commercial autonomous minibus project at Zurich Airport. During the 2024 French Open, WeRide partnered with Renault to provide the only L4 autonomous shuttle service at the tennis tournament in Paris.

WeRide became the world's first universal developer of self-driving technologies and the first robotaxi to go public last October. Its stock [NASDAQ: WRD] closed 0.7 percent up at USD12.30 in New York yesterday, despite having plunged over 25 percent since listing.

Editor: Futura Costaglione