Automotive giant Stellantis and Bolt, Europe’s leading mobility platform, have entered a partnership to jointly explore the development and deployment of Level 4 (driverless) autonomous vehicles for commercial operations across Europe.
The collaboration will combine Stellantis’ AV-Ready Platforms – specifically the eK0 medium size van and STLA Small platforms – with Bolt’s extensive 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.
Stellantis’ AV-Ready Platforms are engineered for flexibility and scalability, integrating advanced sensor suites, high-performance computing and system redundancies to meet the highest safety and reliability standards while optimizing total cost of ownership for service operators, making them one of the most competitive solutions in the industry.
The companies plan to begin deploying test vehicles for trials in European countries starting in 2026, with a strong 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.
Both companies will work closely with European regulators to support a responsible approach to testing, certification and scalable deployment, in full alignment with applicable safety, data protection and cybersecurity standards.
For Stellantis, this collaboration expands its growing partner ecosystem in Europe and advances its global driverless mobility strategy, leveraging AV-Ready Platforms designed for safe and reliable Level 4 deployment at scale.
For Bolt, the partnership marks the next step towards its ambition of having 100,000 autonomous vehicles available on its shared mobility platform by 2035.
Antonio Filosa, CEO – Stellantis, said: “Our AV-Ready Platforms™ are designed for maximum flexibility, so we can deliver the best possible experience for European customers. Autonomous fleets can also contribute to a lower carbon footprint by enabling a shared and optimized mobility, reducing congestion and emissions. Partnering with Bolt is intended to bring this vision closer to reality, combining our engineering expertise with their operational reach in the hopes of making driverless mobility a trusted part of everyday life in Europe.”
Markus Villig, Founder and CEO – Bolt, said: “This partnership brings together two companies who understand the specific dynamics of operating in Europe. By combining Stellantis’ AV-Ready Platforms™ and our operational expertise, we plan to create the best autonomous vehicle offering that is tailored for European needs, in line with European standards, that millions of people will be able to use. The partnership marks the next step in our ambition to have 100,000 autonomous vehicles on the Bolt platform by 2035.”
