WeRide and Renault Group Return to Roland-Garros for Third Straight Year with Autonomous Robobus Service
Rhea-AI Summary
WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD) and Renault Group are deploying the autonomous Robobus at the 2026 Roland-Garros tournament for a third straight year. The shuttle runs a 2.8 km route between three key stops from May 24 to June 7, including extended night-time operations.
This service is part of a broader European expansion that includes fully driverless Robobus service in France’s Drôme region, commercial operations in Belgium, airport deployment in Zurich without a front-row safety driver, and upcoming Robotaxi launches in Switzerland and Slovakia.
Positive
- Third consecutive year of autonomous Robobus service at Roland-Garros
- 2.8 km autonomous shuttle route operating daily from May 24 to June 7, 2026
- Second year of extended night-time Robobus operations at Roland-Garros
- Fully driverless Robobus service launched in France’s Drôme region in March 2025
- Regular commercial Robobus operation in Belgium and safety driver removed at Zurich Airport
- Planned driverless Robotaxi launches in Furttal, Switzerland, and new entry into Slovakia
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – WRD
In the May 26 session, WRD gained 0.41%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18 | Competition victory | Positive | -1.8% | WRD 3.0 L2++ ADAS scored competition wins and secured design wins. |
| May 13 | Earnings update | Positive | -0.8% | Record Q1 2026 revenue growth with expanding AV fleet despite ongoing losses. |
| May 08 | Governance/AGM | Neutral | +3.3% | Announcement of Annual General Meeting and availability of 20-F report. |
| Apr 30 | Earnings date notice | Neutral | +3.2% | Scheduling and call details for Q1 2026 financial results release. |
| Apr 27 | Strategic partnership | Positive | +2.6% | Lenovo collaboration to deploy 200,000 Level 4 autonomous vehicles globally. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent positive operational and financial updates have sometimes seen negative or muted next-day moves, indicating occasional divergence between fundamentals news and price reaction.
Over the past months, WeRide has highlighted rapid growth and expanding partnerships. On April 27, it announced a Lenovo collaboration to deploy 200,000 Level 4 vehicles globally, which saw a positive price reaction. Subsequent earnings and 6-K updates reported strong revenue growth but continued losses. Operational wins such as competition championships and record L2++ design wins on May 18 drew negative reactions. Today’s Europe-focused Robobus expansion fits the pattern of ongoing global rollout initiatives.
Key Terms
L4 autonomous vehicle technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
PARIS, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD, HKEX: 0800), a global leader in autonomous driving technology, today announced that it will once again deploy its autonomous Robobus at the Roland-Garros tournament – marking the third consecutive year of operations in partnership with Renault Group. Since 2024, the WeRide Robobus has provided the only autonomous public shuttle service at Roland-Garros, showcasing next-generation autonomous driving technology at one of the world's most prestigious sporting events.
WeRide Robobus at Roland-Garros
Held annually in Paris, Roland-Garros – also known as the French Open – is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, drawing top-ranked players and hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. Its high‑density, high‑demand transport environment offers a real‑world stage to demonstrate the maturity and reliability of WeRide’s autonomous driving technology. This year, beti serves as the vehicle operator, overseeing daily on-ground operations.
During the event, the Robobus will operate along a 2.8‑kilometer route with a journey time of 12 minutes, connecting three stops – Carrefour des Anciens Combattants, Gate 5 Village Welcome Desk, and Porte d’Auteuil – along Avenue de la Porte d'Auteuil, which runs through the Roland-Garros stadium complex.
The service runs from May 24 to June 7, operating daily from 10.30am to 5pm, 6pm to 8pm, and 10pm to midnight. It also marks the second consecutive year of night‑time operations at Roland‑Garros, extending service hours following a successful rollout in 2025. This builds on WeRide and Renault Group's broader collaboration across Europe, including the launch of a fully driverless Robobus service in France’s Drôme region in March 2025, and a pilot service in central Barcelona the same month – marking Spain’s first public‑road trial of a L4 autonomous vehicle for passenger transport.
Europe is a key market in WeRide’s global expansion strategy, with active deployments across France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Slovakia. Beyond France and Spain, WeRide’s Robobus is now in regular commercial operation in Belgium and has removed the front‑row safety driver from its Robobus at Zurich Airport, marking a key step towards fully driverless operations. In parallel, driverless Robotaxi services are set to launch in Furttal, Switzerland, while WeRide has also recently announced its entry into Slovakia as part of Europe’s first large-scale, multi-product autonomous driving commercial deployment. Together, these developments reinforce the company's accelerating expansion and its commitment to scaling autonomous mobility solutions across the region.
About WeRide
WeRide is a global leader and a first mover in the autonomous driving industry, as well as the first publicly traded Robotaxi company. Our autonomous vehicles have been tested or operated in over 40 cities across 12 countries. We are also the first and only technology company whose products have received autonomous driving permits in eight markets: China, the UAE, Singapore, France, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and the US. Empowered by the smart, versatile, cost-effective, and highly adaptable WeRide One platform, WeRide provides autonomous driving products and services from L2 to L4, addressing transportation needs in the mobility, logistics, and sanitation industries. WeRide was named to Fortune's 2025 Change the World and 2025 Future 50 lists. https://www.weride.ai
About Renault
Renault Group is at the forefront of a mobility that is reinventing itself. The Group relies on the complementarity of its three automotive brands – Renault, Dacia, Alpine – and its financial captive – Mobilize Financial Services – to offer sustainable and innovative mobility solutions to its customers. Established in more than 100 countries, Renault Group sold 2.337 million vehicles in 2025. It employs more than 100,000 people who embody its Purpose every day, so that mobility brings people closer.
Ready to pursue challenges both on the road and in competition, the Group is committed to an ambitious and value-generating transformation focused on the development of new technologies and services, and a new range of even more competitive, balanced, and electrified vehicles. In line with environmental challenges, Renault Group's ambition is to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2040 and worldwide by 2050. More information: http://www.renaultgroup.com/en
About beti
beti provides digital services and solutions to clients, mobility operators, and automated driving technology providers in Europe, supporting the large-scale deployment of automated shuttles and robotaxis. beti has been collaborating with WeRide in Europe since October 2024. Macif, the leading insurance group in France, is a shareholder of beti and contributes to the growth of these new mobility solutions in Europe.
Media Contact
WeRide:
pr@weride.ai
Renault Group:
Christophe Lavauzelle
Corporate communication manager
+33 6 09 09 25 44
christophe.lavauzelle@renault.com
Paul Jacobsoone
Corporate communication manager
+33 6 82 76 23 96
paul.jacobsoone@renault.com
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to,” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about WeRide’s beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in WeRide’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release. WeRide does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b62a76c-78f6-4441-8c7e-a9de1a2c205a
