Vulog plans autonomous mobility pilot for 2027

Vulog is preparing a French autonomous-vehicle pilot for the second half of 2027, using lessons from its profitable Leo&Go shared-mobility service in Lyon. The company says the project will test how self-driving vehicles can be integrated into an existing fleet operation, not just a standalone technology demo.

Why it matters: - Vulog is trying to turn autonomous vehicles into a workable mobility business, not just a technology showcase. - The effort could show how shared-mobility operators can add self-driving vehicles without rebuilding the entire service model. - The pilot is designed to inform future deployments for other mobility operators and markets.

What happened: - Vulog announced plans for a French pilot of autonomous vehicles, with a target launch in the second half of 2027. - The company will build the pilot on experience from Leo&Go, its shared-mobility service in Lyon. - Leo&Go is marking its fifth year of activity after launching in September 2021. - The Leo&Go service now has 75,000 registered members and a fleet of 400 vehicles. - Leo&Go offers car-sharing, rental and subscription services. - Vulog said it is currently defining the pilot scope and evaluating technology and operating partners. - Vulog said the pilot will explore how purpose-built autonomous vehicles can be gradually integrated into an existing shared-mobility service.

The details: - Vulog says Leo&Go gives the company a real operating environment where autonomous vehicles could be added alongside existing vehicles and mobility models. - The company argues that autonomous-vehicle software alone is not enough to create viable mobility services. - Fleet management, maintenance, customer operations, pricing, demand generation and work with public authorities are also required. - Grégory Ducongé, Vulog’s CEO, said the real challenge is converting autonomous vehicles into reliable, highly utilized and economically viable fleets. - Ducongé said Leo&Go has let Vulog develop and validate those capabilities over five years. - Vulog says operating Leo&Go has given the company direct experience across the full shared-mobility value chain. - That operating experience helped build a profitable operating model. - Vulog says established shared-mobility operators have a central role in deploying autonomous services. - Vulog says car-sharing operators already manage many of the same complexities autonomous fleets will face, including public-road operations, supply-demand balancing, field operations and real-time customer support.

Between the lines: - Vulog is signaling that the path to autonomy may run through existing fleet operators rather than through standalone robotaxi-style launches. - The company is framing operational execution as the moat: software, fleet logistics and customer service matter as much as vehicle automation. - Leo&Go’s profitability gives Vulog a proof point as it positions itself for a more capital-intensive autonomous phase. - The LinkedIn page for Vulog is available here.

What's next: - Vulog will finalize the pilot scope and assess potential partners. - The company plans to define the technologies, operating processes and partnerships needed to add autonomous vehicles to shared fleets. - Vulog expects the capabilities developed in the pilot could help other operators introduce autonomous vehicles in their own markets. - Leo&Go is entering its sixth year as Vulog prepares the next phase of shared mobility.