The city is backing the use of autonomous vehicles across various modes of transport, including private cars, urban buses, trams, and taxis. Additionally, there is an emphasis on fostering the development of intelligent road infrastructure to facilitate these transportation methods.
In a related announcement on Monday, the central Chinese city of Wuhan also revealed that it has approved regulations to advance the development of intelligent connected vehicles.
Chinese authorities have been actively approving trials for self-driving technology, with at least 19 cities currently conducting tests for robotaxis and robobuses, as reported by Reuters in August.
Among the companies operating extensive robotaxi fleets in China is Apollo Go, a subsidiary of Baidu, which plans to deploy 1,000 robotaxis in Wuhan by the end of 2024. Pony.ai, which went public in the U.S. market in November, aims to expand its robotaxi fleet nationwide to over 1,000 by 2026, up from 250 this year.
Other companies exploring robotaxi opportunities in China’s vast automotive market include WeRide, AutoX, and SAIC Motor. Additionally, U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla plans to introduce full self-driving (FSD) capabilities in China by the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approval, and intends to begin producing its own robotaxi by 2026.