Dec 9 (Reuters) - Carmaker Stellantis is teaming up with Estonia-based ride-hailing platform Bolt to deploy driverless vehicles across Europe, with plans to begin on-road trials in 2026, the companies said on Tuesday.

The collaboration will integrate Stellantis' ( STLA ) purpose-built autonomous vehicle platforms with Bolt's ride-hailing network, which serves more than 200 million customers in over 50 countries, including 23 member states of the European Union.

Deployment will be phased from prototypes and pilot fleets to progressive industrial scale-up, with an initial production target in 2029, the joint statement said.

The companies will work closely with European regulators to ensure the technology meets regional safety, cybersecurity and data protection standards, they added.

Under the partnership, Stellantis ( STLA ) will provide its "AV-Ready Platforms", specifically the eK0 medium-sized van and its STLA Small platform, which are engineered for Level 4 autonomous driving. This level of automation means the vehicle can operate without a human driver under specific conditions.

The Franco-Italian-American carmaker had shelved its first Level 3 advanced driver-assistance programme in August because of high costs, technological challenges and concerns about consumer appetite.