PARIS, Oct 3 — A Peugeot Citroen prototype has become the first self-driving car to travel on French public roads, navigating from Paris to Bordeaux fully autonomously.

As the first carmaker to obtain permission for self-driving technology testing on the nation’s roads, the company had a head start on its rivals. Nevertheless, the 580km trip, completed yesterday, is a first for PSA Peugeot Citroen and for France as a whole. It is the first time an autonomous car has driven on a public road within the country’s borders.

Carlos Tavares, chairman of the managing board of PSA Peugeot Citroën, said: “The journey made by our prototype today proves that autonomous vehicles are no longer of matter of science fiction. This ushers in a new era for mobility, which I find truly exciting.”

In neighbouring Germany, Mercedes-Benz also achieved an autonomous world first yesterday. Its self-driving truck became the first production commercial vehicle anywhere in the world to drive itself on a public highway. — AFP-Relaxnews