Racing to commercialize AVs

Tracking China's robotaxisHere are key developments from 5 of the most prominent companies. Human safety drivers remain on board in all the projects, though WeRide's latest permit allows driverless testing. WeRide: The company launched robotaxi service in November in Guangzhou. After a COVID-related shutdown, the company expanded the fleet to more than 100 in April. Last week, WeRide won a permit for the country's first fully driverless tests on public roads in Guangzhou. AutoX: In April, AutoX deployed a fleet of 100 self-driving vehicles in the Shanghai district Jianding. One notable aspect of the company's deployment: Its vehicles are authorized to pick up and drop off riders at any location within the project zone, not just at designated stations. The company's Operation Center in Shanghai is billed as "the largest data hub" in China. Baidu: After launching robotaxi service in Changsha in September in an 80-square-mile area of the city, the tech company opened it to the public in April. The company uses Hongqi electric vehicles that were jointly developed with Chinese carmaker FAW Group specifically for self-driving purposes. Pony.ai: The company's pilot project in Guangzhou's Nansha district has been operational since October. The company received a $400 million investment from Toyota Motor Corp. in February. In the U.S., Pony.ai has partnered with Hyundai and ride-hailing service Via to launch a free robotaxi service called BotRide in Irvine, Calif. Didi Chuxing: The ride-hailing network, which provides approximately 10 billion rides per year across the globe, spun its autonomous-driving division into its own company 11 months ago. In May, the company received a $500 million investment from SoftBank's Vision Fund, and it has been working with BAIC Group to jointly develop a purpose-built self-driving vehicle. Self-driving fleets? Idled. Plans to launch robotaxi services? Delayed. The future of ride-hailing and public transit? Suddenly in doubt. At least in the United States.

Racing to commercialize AVs

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