Shanghai will start public testing of autonomous vehicles (AVs) this week, providing free rides for residents through a trial initiated by the the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with four other Chinese government departments.
Earlier this month, these government bodies selected 20 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Shenzhen, as participants in a pilot program for the application of “vehicle-road-cloud integration”.
The program aims to link intelligent vehicles with roadside perception and cloud-based control.
Shanghai will start using AVs for ride-hailing services on designated roads in its Pudong New Area.
China has granted approval to an initial group of nine auto makers to conduct tests on vehicles with advanced autonomous driving technologies on public roads, as part of a plan to accelerate the adoption of self-driving cars. The tests will involve Level 3 AD technologies, which allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel, with auto makers and fleet operators taking responsibility for safety.
Participating auto makers include BYD, Nio, Changan Automobile, GAC and SAIC. Fleet operators, such as ride hailing companies, will also be involved in the tests.
“The active application and testing of AVs in Shanghai facilitate the effective deployment of autonomous driving technology in China, promoting China’s future societal development,” Cui Dongshu, secretary general of the CPCA told the Global Times.
The CPCA says that the test process will be closely monitored, with each car equipped with a safety officer. The AVs will also be supported by remote control and cybersecurity personnel to address any operational issues. Data collected during the tests will be used to assess the efficiency, safety and reliability of the AVs.
Performance and operational adjustments can also be made based on actual test results, with feedback from participants playing an important role in refining the technology, according to the CPCA.
Dongshu stated that Shanghai’s project sets a national example for China. The ministry also noted that this trial paves the way for further commercialization of more advanced autonomous driving technologies, moving closer to allowing Level 3 vehicles utilized by individual fleet operators.
Recently, both Beijing and Wuhan have also completed AV testing projects. As of July 8, Beijing has 116 autonomous test vehicles that have logged nearly 2 million km, according to Xinhua, China’s largest news agency.