The first autonomous electric shuttles arrive in Quebec - Keolis Canada and NAVYA to demonstrate their autonomous shuttles at the UITP Summit in Montreal

MONTREAL, April 10, 2017 /CNW/ - Keolis Canada and NAVYA announce that they will officially present their autonomous electric shuttle project at the UITP Global Public Transit Summit, one of the largest public transit events in the world, being held in Montreal May 15 to 17. In September 2016, in Lyon, France, Keolis launched experimental testing of NAVLY, the world's first public transport service using autonomous electric shuttles. Since then, it has tested a number of other autonomous shuttle projects in major cities, including Las Vegas in January. The shuttle epitomizes the transport of tomorrow, and both Keolis Canada and NAVYA welcome the collaboration of the Ville de Montréal.

"This is a great progress for us, as we have been evaluating the Quebec market for some time. The UITP Summit is the perfect venue at which to present the product, which offers a solution for the initial and final stages of a trip. Keolis will also play a visible role at the Summit. We believe that electric vehicles represent the future of public transit, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to test this new autonomous vehicle here as a Canadian first. The enthusiasm for the project is already contagious," said Patrick Gilloux, President and Chief Operating Officer of Keolis Canada.

"We know there is keen interest in Quebec for innovative mobility solutions such as autonomous electric shuttles," stated Christophe Sapet, CEO of NAVYA. "We are pleased to have deployed more than 35 vehicles to date and transported more than 130,000 passengers world-wide, and Canada is an important step ahead in our international development. We look forward to the Montreal demonstration of this product, which is a viable response to the problems faced by cities today: congestion, pollution and parking."

"Montreal is actively preparing for the emergence of autonomous and electric vehicles. The new institute to study and promote electrification and intelligent transportation will draw on Montreal's many assets as a city of innovation. We have what it takes to become a global leader in the mobility of tomorrow, and I applaud the contribution of Keolis Canada and NAVYA in this field," stated Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montreal.

The autonomous electric shuttle
Environmentally-friendly and providing flexibility in its management, the autonomous shuttle enables communities to better adapt their transit offering to the needs of citizens while controlling the impact on infrastructure and reducing traffic and pollution. With a capacity of 15 passengers, it also facilitates the transportation of personnel, visitors or service agents on private sites, improves access and mobility, and optimizes employee work time. Ideal for urban areas, airports, industrial sites, amusement parks, hotel complexes and hospitals, it has been designed to help organizations and businesses improve performance by streamlining the flow of movement.

About NAVYA
Founded in 2014, French company NAVYA is a leader specializing in the development of innovative, smart and sustainable mobility solutions. NAVYA develops driverless automated electric vehicles that are independent of all infrastructure. Supported by investment funds Robolution Capital, the original investor, Cap Décisif Management with Fonds FRCI (Fonds Régional de Co-investissement de la Région Île de France), investment holding GRAVITATION, Français VALEO Group, KEOLIS Group, and GROUP8, in October 2016 NAVYA conducted a 30 million euro round of financing. NAVYA benefits from major advances in technology in the autonomous, electric vehicle sector thanks to its experience in the field and a highly qualified R&D team. Christophe Sapet, its CEO, is supported by a team of 120 people based in Lyon and Paris. http://navya.tech

About Keolis Canada
Keolis Canada, a Franco-Quebec company, specializes in passenger transportation in Canada. Experts in intercity, urban, school, accessible, airport, charter and light rail transportation services, Keolis Canada offers safe and reliable high quality service thanks to a team of over 900 experienced employees. Keolis Canada operates a fleet of 396 vehicles. Every year, Keolis Canada transports almost 1 million passengers and over 1 million packages. Keolis Canada is part of the French firm Keolis Group.

The Keolis Group develops customized mobility solutions adapted to the changing needs of passengers and to the requirements of the communities that it serves. A leader in urban transportation in France, Keolis is a major player in the public transportation of passengers in Europe and around the world. The Keolis Group is owned by SNCF (70%) and Caisse de dépôt et placements du Québec (30%).

SOURCE Keolis Canada

Source: Marie Hélène Cloutier, Vice-President, Passenger Experience, Marketing & Sales, Keolis Canada Inc.; Information (media only): Raphaëlle Cyr-Lelièvre, Senior Consultant, Hill+Knowlton Stratégies, Telephone: [phone], Cell: 418 580-0040, Email: [email protected]; NAVYA media contact: Shelley Gore, Agence Esprit Des Sens, Telephone: [phone], Cell: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Photos and videos: http://navya.tech/?lang=en