Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) and Bolt, a European mobility platform, today announced they have entered a partnership to jointly explore the development and use of Level 4 (driverless) autonomous vehicles for commercial operations across Europe. [The move is a defensive one as the Chinese undoubtedly are preparing to attack this lucrative segment – AutoCrat]

The collaboration – subject to regulatory and company operational approvals – will combine Stellantis’ AV-Ready Platforms™ [the eK0 medium size van and STLA Small platforms – AutoCrat] with Bolt’s mobility network. Bolt currently provides ride-hailing services in more than 50 countries including 23 EU Member States and aims to integrate Stellantis’ autonomous vehicles into its shared mobility platform to provide fully autonomous, driverless ride-hailing services.**

The companies plan to begin deploying test vehicles for trials in European countries starting in 2026, with a “focus on building a service that provides the highest safety and performance standards in Europe.” Deployment will follow a phased approach, from prototypes and pilot fleets to progressive industrial scale-up, with an initial production target in 2029.