Story details
France’s transport ministry used its October 23 autonomous-vehicle conference to set out regulatory priorities and announce several planned projects, placing the focus on moving from trials toward operational services. The ministry said 250 participants attended, including manufacturers, transport authorities, local governments, unions, researchers and operators. Its release also recalled more than 200 experiments conducted since the country adopted a national automated-mobility strategy in 2018. Those trials are not equivalent to commercial deployment.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the ministry intends to establish a vehicle-homologation doctrine in the first half of 2027 under the National Vehicle Reception Centre. The proposed process would validate vehicles in stages and monitor safety throughout their operating life, giving manufacturers clearer requirements and timing. The document describes this as future work, not a doctrine already issued. France also says it will discuss recognition and harmonisation with European partners.
The release points to cooperation at EU level. A transport-authority coalition, Pact for Europe, launched in Paris on October 7 after two years of preparatory work led by France and Oslo mobility authority Ruter. A separate joint declaration signed by France and 17 counterparts in June had grown to 22 signatories, the ministry said. These initiatives aim to support coordination and deployment; they do not themselves authorize a vehicle or establish a binding common operating regime.
Île-de-France Mobilités decided to launch what the ministry calls the region’s first passenger public-transport service using autonomous vehicles. Its stated objective is to serve local routes or areas with limited service. The pilot is planned for early 2028 around Versailles Grand Parc, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and Paris-Saclay, with gradual extension envisaged from 2030. The announcement gives a planned geography and timetable, not evidence that vehicles are already carrying passengers on those routes.
Other partnerships were also announced. France’s automotive industry association PFA and the public-transport and rail federation UTPF signed a cooperation agreement linking vehicle designers and service operators. In Clichy, the city, taxi company G7 and autonomous-vehicle supplier Milla announced a potential electric service intended to complement public transport, connect first- and last-mile journeys and help older residents. Separately, Greater Paris, Bolt and Stellantis proposed an experiment from 2028, subject to the European Commission’s ADACities initiative, with an ambition to reach about 30 municipalities by 2030.
The ministry said delivery robots and vehicles have been authorized on French roads since August 7, 2026, while further work with local authorities will examine whether small autonomous robots can operate in pedestrian areas and on sidewalks. It also plans a state-level single point of contact for project sponsors. These announced steps coexist with unresolved approvals, safety rules and project conditions. The release records government priorities and partner intentions; it does not report investment totals, procurement awards, a completed deployment or measured safety and mobility outcomes.