China allows driverless taxis and buses

According to Reuters, from April 1.4.2025, XNUMX, new regulations will come into effect in Beijing when Chinese authorities allow driverless taxis, buses and electric cars to operate on the streets of the capital. Developers of these vehicles will have the opportunity to apply for public road testing after passing the necessary tests.

Driverless vehicles will operate on Beijing's streets from April 1.4.2025, XNUMX.

Beijing has also expressed its commitment to developing “smart” road infrastructure to accommodate driverless vehicles. Similar regulations are underway in other Chinese megacities. In Wuhan, rules have been passed to define operating procedures for vehicles that are constantly connected to the information network. A total of 19 cities in China are currently testing driverless taxis and buses.

Many Chinese businesses invest heavily in automatic taxis

Several cities in southern China have recently embarked on intercity trials of self-driving taxis. Apollo Go, a subsidiary of internet giant Baidu, has one of the largest fleets of self-driving taxis in China and plans to deploy 1.000 autonomous taxis in Wuhan this year. However, Apollo Go’s rapid growth has sparked protests from local taxi drivers who say they cannot compete with automation.

Pony.ai, a startup that recently went public in the US, currently has 250 self-driving taxi prototypes in China and plans to at least quadruple that number by 4. Despite fierce competition in China, Tesla remains the leader in the electric vehicle segment. The company is expected to receive testing permits for its driverless prototypes in China next quarter before starting production of its Cybercab robotaxi in 2026.