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China autonomous driving news 

In autonomous driving China is considered the world leader. Self-driving cars from AutoX have been on the road in Shenzhen since as early as December 2020. Meanwhile, the company, which is backed by internet giant Alibaba, has over a hundred robot cabs in operation in five Chinese cities. The models are even on the road without safety drivers.   

In Pingshan, for example, a suburb of Shenzhen, the robot cabs can be booked via app. They do not drive a fixed route. Meanwhile, 27 Chinese cities and more than seventy companies have received approval to test autonomous cars on public roads. In Beijing and Shanghai alone, over 2.5 million test kilometers have been completed as of June 2021.   

What are the stages of autonomous driving?  

A total of six stages are distinguished in autonomous driving. Depending on the level, the car can perform a different number of tasks independently without the need for a driver to actively intervene. The minimum standards for the individual levels are set out in the international standard SAE J3016, which has been in force since 2014. The levels of autonomous driving differ as follows:  

• Level 0 automation: self-driving. The driver must drive himself.   
• Automation level 1: Assisted mode. Assistance systems such as cruise control help operate the vehicle.   
• Automation level 2: Assisted mode. Partial automation. Assistance systems take over certain areas of driving. Such as lane keeping, longitudinal guidance, acceleration and braking.   
• Level 3: Automated mode. The system takes over large parts of driving. Such as setting the turn signal, changing lanes and holding the lane. Although the driver does not have to monitor the system permanently and can devote his attention to other things, he must be able to take the lead with appropriate advance warning.   
• Automation level 4: Autonomous mode. High automation. The driver no longer has to intervene. The system permanently takes over the guidance of the vehicle. Only if the driver is overtaxed can he be asked to intervene.   
• Automation level 5: Autonomous mode. Fully automated. Only starting the system and entering the destination must be done by the driver. The vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals.   

What are fundamental differences in autonomous driving in China and Europe?

China autonomous driving is taking a central approach. A cloud-based ecosystem is to be created. On the one hand, this will make it easier to solve the massive traffic problems in metropolises with millions of inhabitants. On the other hand, Chinese Communist Party attaches great importance to extensive monitoring of citizens, which would be easier to implement with a central system.  

Manufacturers from the USA and Europe, however, are pursuing an on-board approach in the area of autonomous driving. Artificial intelligence is supposed to work in the car and not in the cloud. It’s a difference of culture. In the West, the car is considered the last place of retreat and private space. The different approaches could result in manufacturers having to develop two software packages. One for China, the largest car market in the world, and one for all other countries.  

Nevertheless, German companies have also launched pilot projects in China. Volkswagen is leading the way. The group is using electric SUVs as robot cabs in the eastern Chinese city of Hefei, which can be booked via a mobility platform. BMW is cooperating with Chinese tech giant Tencent on the subject of autonomous driving. Mercedes maintains a test fleet in Beijing.  

Which are the development clusters for China autonomous driving? 

Because autonomous driving is seen as a key future technology in the field of mobility, the Communist Party in China has developed four major clusters in which large companies from the technology sector must conduct research on key tasks and report regularly.   

China sees autonomous driving as a key future technology in the field of mobility. Hence, the Communist Party in China has developed four major clusters in which large companies from the technology sector must conduct research on key tasks and report regularly.

Baidu, for example, the largest search engine in the People’s Republic, is developing a software package for autonomous driving together with Chinese car manufacturers, Daimler, Ford and Nvidia. The other clusters have been built around high-tech groups Alibaba, Tencent and mobility provider Didi.   

Which are China autonomous driving leading companies? 

Baidu has 500 semi-autonomous vehicles in operation in China, making it the largest test fleet in the People’s Republic. Ten Level 4 vehicles are on the road in Beijing, with safety drivers on board. By the end of 2023, the Group aims to have 3,000 robot cabs in operation in 30 Chinese cities. The Group is cooperating with over a hundred companies in this effort. Among them are BMW, Ford and Volkswagen.  

Pony.ai offers rides in robot cabs in five Chinese cities. By mid-2021, it had 220,000 rides. The company was founded by former Baidu managers. Toyota has invested a total of 400 million euros. Pony.ai is working on level four and five autonomous driving solutions and has a market valuation of three billion dollars.   

WeRide is even already doing away with the steering wheel in its fleet of driverless minibuses. However, the models are exclusively on the road at the Guangzhou International Bio Island industrial complex, where the vehicles will be tested in urban conditions. In 2017, the company was the first to launch a major pilot program.   

Didi Chuxing is Uber’s Chinese competitor. Like the Americans, the company hopes to see the widest possible use of autonomous driving technology to make its business model profitable. The company has spun off its research on the topic to its subsidiary Didi Labs.   

Is Didi Chuxing the Uber counterpart in  autonomous driving?

For Didi Chuxing, the Uber competitor from China, autonomous driving is a key technology. As with Uber, self-driving cars could ensure that the company finally makes a profit. Investments in the corresponding research are correspondingly high. In its IPO in New York this summer, Didi raised around $4.4 billion. Around 30 percent of this is to be put into building an e-car and into research into autonomous driving.   

To this end, Didi Chuxing is cooperating on the one hand with Volvo, which is providing the XC90 SUV to build a robot cab. There is also a cooperation between Didi and battery maker GAC Aion to develop an autonomous driving electric car. The plans could be put a damper on by the regulatory actions of the Cyberspace Administration in China (CAC). The Communist Party is currently trying to put a leash on major technology companies. The Didi app had to be deleted from all app stores due to alleged violations of data protection.   

What are the concerns and opportunities for China Tesla?

Tesla is the global market leader in purely battery-powered electric cars. The vehicles also feature a high level of automation. Accordingly, China is perhaps the most important market for Elon Musk’s company. Musk emphasized the potential of autonomous driving in the People’s Republic. Customers would become more intensively networked with their cars.  

But in China, of all places, Tesla is struggling with huge recalls in 2021. Over 285,000 cars had to be recalled because of problems with Autopilot. It would activate itself while driving and accelerate, sometimes uncontrollably. In addition, there are repeated complaints from customers. Either because they were confronted with false sales promises or because the quality – for example in terms of safety – did not meet their expectations.  

Chinese politicians are also keeping a wary eye on Tesla. Above all, the Communist Party wants Chinese manufacturers to dominate the market. An (extremely successful) American producer disturbs the overall picture. In addition, the Chinese military also has its eye on Tesla. Since the cameras always record everything, the technology could be interpreted as espionage if interpreted maliciously.   

Is smart mobility a transportation solution for China?  

For China, autonomous driving is part of the solution to its traffic problem. In the country’s large metropolises with millions of inhabitants, conditions on the roads are sometimes chaotic. Commuters and residents suffer not only because of the loss of time, but also because of the exhaust pollution.   

Autonomous electric cars, car sharing and public transportation are to be linked. Monitoring systems and artificial intelligence could control traffic, relieve the roads and thus also protect the environment.   

China autonomous driving news 

Autonomous driving could revolutionize chaotic traffic in China’s megacities. But the technology has its pitfalls and research and development in this area is of great political interest – which can be both a curse and a blessing. The Table.Media editorial team provides all the relevant news on the topic.