27/11/2025
BlueNav
BlueNav’s BlueBoat Wins the Decarbonised Mobility Award
BlueNav is proud to announce that the BlueBoat — the first demonstrator of an automated and fully electric river shuttle, developed in partnership with Keolis Bordeaux Métropole Mobilités (KB2M) for Bordeaux Métropole — has won the Decarbonised Mobility Award at the 2025 Salon des Maires et des Collectivités Locales.
As river mobility grows and transport systems become increasingly automated, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games played a key role in highlighting the potential of waterways for the urban mobility of tomorrow.
In this context, Voies Navigables de France (VNF), with the support of the French Transport Innovation Agency (AIT), launched a national call for projects to create demonstrators of autonomous and decarbonised river crossings. The BlueBoat was born from this initiative, as well as from its collaboration with Lab TBMOUV’, the innovation unit led by Keolis Bordeaux Métropole Mobilités (KB2M).
The support of Lab TBMOUV’ helped transform an ambitious vision into a fully operational demonstrator, tested in real conditions and now recognised at the national level.
Drawing on BlueNav’s expertise, the BlueBoat “Passeur de Rives” demonstrator integrates a unique set of innovations:
- Pre-programmed route tracking
- Obstacle detection via long-range and 360° LiDAR fusion, without blind spots
- Virtual Anchor, keeping the vessel in position without anchor or seabed impact
- Automated docking, including the approach phase with centimetric-precision GPS
- Two 15 kW electric outboard motors, zero-emission, quiet and ultra-precise
- Level 3 autonomy with human supervision and instant manual takeover
This demonstrator showcases BlueNav’s ability to design complete, safe and intelligent navigation solutions for river mobility.
This award confirms the relevance and potential of the BlueBoat model.
The Passeur de Rives is now entering the final stage of its experimental phase. The results and insights will soon be presented in order to assess the benefits observed and determine the conditions for a future deployment.
Exhibitor Data Sheet