From 14 October to 8 November 2019, throughout the Paris-Saclay urban campus, a panel of some 100 people will use Groupe Renault’s on-demand car service as part of the ‘Paris-Saclay Autonomous Lab’ project. The objective of this experiment is to test the technical aspects of this on-demand mobility service, and to evaluate its acceptability and adoption by end-users for their daily journeys.

This daytime service, using electric, autonomous and shared Renault ZOE Cab prototypes, will allow panelists to move freely around the Paris-Saclay urban campus, for everyday mobility: go to one of the schools or laboratories on the campus, head to lunch, play sports, etc.

This experiment and the feedback from the panel will enable Groupe Renault to identify any necessary adaptations to be made to the service, the mobile application, and the vehicles, to offer the best on-demand, electric, autonomous and shared mobility service in the future.

The service will run Monday to Friday, from 11am to 6pm, to best coincide with users’ needs.

Renault is providing two types of Renault ZOE Cab prototypes for a wider range of experiences.

One type of ZOE Cab is equipped with a large fore-wing door that spans the length of the ZOE’s interior, allowing immediate access to front and rear seats. A section is cut-off from the rest of the car’s interior for the safety officer so passengers get a glimpse of the future of autonomous mobility with neither operator nor driver on board. Car seats are fitted with individual screens, speakers, and USB port, designed to create a private compartment for each passenger.

The second type of ZOE Cab prototype is equipped with a larger rear door on the right-hand side for easier car access. The door is located on the right to ensure safely getting in and out of the car (pavement side only) with added ease.

A modified interior has the front passenger seat facing backwards so passengers now ride face to face; this is in line with the service’s car-sharing ethos. Screens are installed inside the car for all passengers to view and use on their trip.

The smartphone app, Marcel Saclay, designed specifically for the ZOE Cab experiment, enables users to hail a car when they need it or book it in advance. Users indicate their position, destination and the number of passengers.

The ZOE Cab will stop en route if need be to pick up another passenger for either the remainder of the trip or part thereof.

Depending on where the user is on campus when they place their booking, the app will direct them to the nearest meeting point and provide an estimated time of arrival for the vehicle.

The service is designed to provide considerable coverage of the campus with 12 pick-up/drop-off points that were chosen for their proximity to the most frequented areas and because they won’t disrupt traffic.

Roughly 100 people were chosen by the independent firm, Eurosyn, to be part of the experiment. Participants had to meet specific criteria, including:

• Work, study, and/or live on the Paris-Saclay urban campus;

• Agree to use the service at least 8 times throughout the 4-week experiment period.

The panel had to be representative of the general campus population, hence it is made up of university students, teachers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and admin staff.

Paris-Saclay Autonomous Lab project. The purpose of the Paris-Saclay Autonomous Lab project is to devise and test different smart, autonomous, electric and shared public and private mobility services to supplement the existing transportation systems in the Paris-Saclay area.

A comprehensive autonomous transportation system comprising autonomous vehicles, a supervision system, connected infrastructure and customer applications will be set up and experiments will be conducted to determine the requirements for scaling up an autonomous mobility service.

Groupe Renault, the Transdev Group, IRT SystemX, VEDECOM and the University of Paris-Saclay initiated the Paris-Saclay Autonomous Lab project. It was launched under the acronym EVAPS with support from the French government’s Investments for the Future program (PIA) entrusted to ADEME; the Établissement Public d’Aménagement Paris-Saclay; the Paris-Saclay urban community; the Essonne Department; and Ile-de-France Mobilités.