Chinese authorities are making significant strides in the development of driverless vehicles, addressing both technical and legal aspects.
As reported by Reuters, starting April 1, 2025, new regulations will be implemented in Beijing that will permit the operation of driverless taxis, buses, and electric vehicles on the city’s streets. In this context, developers of these vehicles will be able to apply for public road testing once they have successfully completed the required assessments.
In addition, the Beijing government is committed to enhancing “smart” road infrastructure to support driverless vehicles. This initiative is not limited to Beijing; numerous megacities across China are enacting similar regulations. For instance, in Wuhan, new rules have been established to outline operational procedures for vehicles that are continuously connected to information networks. Currently, 19 cities in China are engaged in testing driverless taxis and buses.
Chinese companies are heavily investing in automated taxi services. Recently, several cities in southern China have been involved in tests for self-driving taxis on interprovincial routes. Apollo Go, a subsidiary of Baidu, operates one of the largest self-driving taxi fleets in China and plans to deploy 1,000 automated taxis in Wuhan within this year. However, the expansion of Apollo Go has faced resistance from local taxi drivers who find it challenging to compete with automation.
Startup Pony.ai, which recently went public in the US, owns 250 self-driving taxi prototypes in China and has plans to significantly increase that number by 2026. While competition in the Chinese market is fierce, Tesla retains a leading position in the electric vehicle sector. The company is anticipated to obtain testing licenses for its driverless prototypes in China next quarter, with plans to start production of the Cybercab robotaxi in 2026.