Last modified on December 17, 2024

Driving Inclusive Mobility: How Ready Are Our Territories for Automated Transport?

17 December 2024

As we stand on the brink of transformative changes in mobility, the readiness of our territories to embrace connected, cooperative, and automated mobility (CCAM) remains a critical challenge. The recent Territorial Readiness Index1 (unveiled at the 2024 Mayors and Local Authorities Exhibition in Paris) by the Movin’On Community of Interest on the Automated Vehicle2, offers a vital snapshot of where France’s Public Intermunicipal Cooperation Establishments (EPCIs) stand in their journey toward automated mobility.

Insights from the Territorial Readiness Index

With an average readiness score of 45 out of 100, France’s EPCIs demonstrate a mix of opportunities and challenges. While public transport needs score relatively high (13.5/20), interest in automated shuttles (8.8/20) and infrastructure readiness (7.8/20) lag behind. These gaps highlight the critical need for targeted support and investment, especially in rural and peri-urban areas.

Urban EPCIs, with better legal understanding and infrastructure, are leading the charge, achieving an index of 61.1 compared to the 40.9 of their rural counterparts. However, the disparities emphasize the need for a systemic approach to ensure equitable benefits across all territories.

Why Automated Mobility Matters

CCAM promises more than convenience: they are key to inclusiveness, sustainability, and safety. By addressing mobility gaps, especially in underserved regions, shared automated shuttles can restore independence to those without access to traditional transport options, reduce environmental impacts, and bridge urban-rural divides.

However, achieving these benefits requires more than technological readiness. It demands a concerted effort to align regulation, research, and societal awareness.

What Needs to Be Done?

  1. Invest in Education and Awareness: Many EPCIs scored low on knowledge of automated mobility. Workshops, training, and demonstrations could bridge this gap and empower local stakeholders.
  2. Strengthen Infrastructure: Physical and digital infrastructure is the backbone of automated mobility. Dedicated lanes, connectivity systems, and robust road networks must be prioritized, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.
  3. Enhance Collaboration: CCAM deployment thrives on public-private partnerships. Combining resources and expertise can accelerate readiness and foster innovation.
  4. Tailor Approaches: The Territorial Readiness Index categorizes EPCIs into four profiles: Indifferent, Novice, Constrained, and Involved. Strategies must be customized to address the unique challenges of each group.

Toward a Shared Vision

The deployment of CCAM is more than a technological shift, it is a societal evolution. By focusing on inclusivity and sustainability, we can ensure that automated mobility becomes a catalyst for progress, not a source of division.

As members of the CCAM ecosystem, we have a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to guide territories through this transition. Let’s work together to ensure that no community is left behind as we move toward a connected, cooperative, and automated future.

What Does the Territorial Preparedness Index Reveal?

  • Average index score of 45 out of 100, corresponding to an Intermediate level of readiness.
  • Distribution of intercommunalities by preparedness level: 0% at Initial readiness, 29% at Moderate readiness, 62% at Intermediate readiness, 8% at Advanced readiness, and 1% at Strong readiness.

The four profiles of preparation of territories for automated mobility      

These profiles offer an overview of the strengths and needs of each EPCI, thus making it possible to propose targeted actions and support. By adapting strategies according to local specificities, each territory can move more efficiently towards the adoption of automated mobility.

Take part in the survey on the Territorial Readiness Index

Are you an elected official or community agent? Assess your region’s readiness for automated mobility by scanning the QR code below to access the questionnaire (in French only) and share your experience:

Methodology

The survey was carried out over a period of four months, with responses collected by email and telephone from 194 participants, 10% of whom were elected officials and 90% of whom were community agents. The sample covers 182 Public Intermunicipal Cooperation Establishments (EPCI) spread over the whole of metropolitan France, representing 15% of the 1,254 EPCIs with their own taxation in France.

Written by Nicolas Marescaux, CCAM member and Movin’On Community of Interest Pilot.

  1. 1 Download the complete study (in French only) here ↩︎
  2. 2 Initiated by Macif in 2019 within Movin’On, the first co-innovation eco-system dedicated to automated vehicles, the community of interest is today made up of 12 companies: beti, BNP Paribas Cardif, Forvia, Kantar, Macif, Maif, Michelin, Navy, Microsoft, Orange, SNCF and Vinci. The objective of this working group, which operates through open innovation, is to put technological progress at the service of the mobility of inhabitants of landlocked territories. ↩︎