We drivepioneer in the autonomous driving sector, has received the green light for the commercial operation of its fully driverless Robotaxi service in the Chinese capital.
What happened: According to Press release broadcast by PRNewswire, WeRide obtained approval from Beijing Intelligent Connected Vehicle Policy Pilot Zone. Therefore, it can now roll out its paid services to the public in Yizhuang, Beijing.
Since October 2022, when WeRide initially obtained permission to begin driverless road tests in the pilot area, it has gradually received permits for various operations. These include an “unmanned remote scene” demonstration, high-speed test drives to and from the airport, and now commercial operation.
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The public in the designated area can use the WeRide Go app to request a WeRide Robotaxi. The service covers popular destinations, such as metro stations, residential areas and office and industrial parks, with a total of 242 pick-up and drop-off points. The Robotaxi can accommodate 1 to 3 passengers at a time and runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WeRide launched China’s first Robotaxi in November 2018 and has since been successfully operating commercial Robotaxi services in Guangzhou and overseas. It has completed nearly 20,000 customer orders during more than 1,400 days of commercial operation.
Why is this important: WeRide’s progress in the autonomous driving sector is remarkable, especially given its success A $200 million fundraiser of Yutong Group during its Series B1 funding round in December 2020. The majority of WeRide’s technology team, comprised of 70% R&D engineers, focused on L4 autonomous technology, which eliminates the need for human intervention even in the event of a system failure. With the support of Yutong Group, WeRide aims to deploy its autonomous driving technology in city buses and minibuses, while also expanding its driverless mobility commercially.
In the future, WeRide plans to expand the scope of its Robotaxi service, including increasing the number of Robotaxis, adding more pick-up and drop-off stops, and accelerating the commercialization of other autonomous products to create an efficient and practical system. travel ecosystem.
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Image by WeRide via PRNewswire
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