Stellantis has partnered with Estonia’s ride-hailing company Bolt to roll out autonomous vehicles across Bolt’s European network, with pilot road trials set for 2026.
Under the deal, Stellantis’ specially designed self-driving platforms will power Bolt’s app-driven service.
Bolt operates in over 50 countries, serving more than 200 million users, with coverage spanning 23 EU member states. The introduction of autonomous vehicles will follow a phased approach—starting with prototype trials, progressing to pilot fleets, and eventually scaling up to broader deployment.
Stellantis and Bolt aim to reach their first production by 2029.
In a joint statement, Stellantis and Bolt said they plan to collaborate with European regulators to ensure compliance with regional standards on safety, cybersecurity, and data protection throughout the development and rollout of the vehicles.
“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,” Bolt founder and CEO Markus Villig said.
“The partnership marks the next step in our ambition to have 100,000 autonomous vehicles on the Bolt platform by 2035,” he added.
Stellantis plans to supply its so‑called ‘AV‑Ready Platforms,’ such as the eK0 mid‑sized van and the STLA Small platform, both engineered to enable Level 4 autonomy.
At this stage, vehicles can function independently without human intervention, provided they remain within specific, predetermined conditions and environments.
“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,” Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa stated.
In October, Stellantis also entered into a non-binding MoU with Pony ai aimed at speeding up the development and rollout of robotaxi services across Europe.
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