Post by acnedriver on Sept 12, 2022 16:08:06 GMT
Autonomous Taxis: Permits Granted to Two Firms in Beijing
Authorities in Beijing have granted operating permits to two firms that have created autonomous taxis. Baidu and Pony.ai are the first autonomous vehicle manufacturers to have been allowed to operate a taxi service in the Chinese capital.
Pony.ai, which is backed by Toyota, are the first company to be granted a taxi licence in China for autonomous vehicles. They recently received permission to operate 100 vehicles in Nansha, Guangzhou and have reported having completed over 700,000 journeys since April 2022.
While both companies have been granted permission to operate a taxi service in Beijing, neither has been granted an actual taxi licence.
Both companies are only allowed to operate within a specific area of the city. When trials first started, they were limited to around 8 square miles. This area has now increased to cover around 25 square miles of the Chinese capital.
During daytime hours, passengers can hail an autonomous cab via an app on their smartphone. The service is not currently available in the evening. This is likely a safety precaution.
Authorities in Beijing have granted operating permits to two firms that have created autonomous taxis. Baidu and Pony.ai are the first autonomous vehicle manufacturers to have been allowed to operate a taxi service in the Chinese capital.
Pony.ai, which is backed by Toyota, are the first company to be granted a taxi licence in China for autonomous vehicles. They recently received permission to operate 100 vehicles in Nansha, Guangzhou and have reported having completed over 700,000 journeys since April 2022.
While both companies have been granted permission to operate a taxi service in Beijing, neither has been granted an actual taxi licence.
Both companies are only allowed to operate within a specific area of the city. When trials first started, they were limited to around 8 square miles. This area has now increased to cover around 25 square miles of the Chinese capital.
During daytime hours, passengers can hail an autonomous cab via an app on their smartphone. The service is not currently available in the evening. This is likely a safety precaution.