China’s southern technology hub Shenzhen has become the first city on the mainland to pilot fully autonomous and driverless cars on some roads.

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Fully autonomous, driverless cars may be a frequent sight on some roads in Shenzhen, China’s tech hub in southern Guangdong province, after the metropolis issued the country’s first specific guidelines for the vehicles.

In the year Under Shenzhen’s Intelligent Connected Cars Directive, which took effect on August 1, registered autonomous vehicles that operate without a human driver can travel on certain roads and areas designated by local transport authorities. The so-called security operator is still required.

“This is the first of its kind dedicated to the management of smart and connected vehicles,” said Maxwell Zhou, CEO of DeepRoute.ai, a Shenzhen-based startup that was one of the first autonomous driving companies to deploy it. Fully self-driving cars on city streets.

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“It fills a legal gap and clarifies liability for domestic intelligent connected vehicles,” Zhou said. Under the new regulations, autonomous vehicles will be divided into three levels: conditional, advanced and fully autonomous driving.

When an independent vehicle has a driver, this person is obliged to pay compensation in the event of an accident, according to the new regulations. The vehicle is completely independent and the owner or manager of the car may be liable for damages in case of damage.

While Beijing allowed fully driverless cars to operate in a pilot zone in the capital’s southeastern Yizhuang district earlier this year, Shenzhen has taken the lead in the country in enacting local regulations on autonomous cars due to its status as a modern “socialist model city.” Administrative policies supported by the Chinese government.

Shenzhen’s development model for autonomous vehicles shows optimism for how this could blaze a trail for other cities in China, the world’s largest auto market.

“With the established legal and regulatory framework [in Shenzhen]DeepRoute.ai’s Zhou said, “We expect the autonomous driving business to accelerate.”

Autonomous driving startup DeepRoute.ai expects to launch its fully driverless public transportation service in Shenzhen. Photo: Handout alt=Autonomous driving startup DeepRoute.ai expects to launch its fully driverless public transportation service in Shenzhen. Photo: Handout>

During a test ride on Tuesday afternoon, DeepRoute.ai’s driverless cars blocked the narrow streets of Shenzhen’s Futian Bonded Zone, a busy area with tall trucks and illegally parked cars.

That three kilometer trip took about eight minutes. Drivers monitor the car’s path and surroundings in real-time with in-vehicle monitors.

DeepRoute.ai, backed by major investors such as Alibaba Group Holding and Chinese carmaker Geely, conducted public trials of its robotaxi service in Futian district last year with 70 autonomous vehicles. It owns the e-commerce giant Alibaba. South China Morning Post.

Baidu unveiled the Apollo RT6 next-generation automotive vehicle in Beijing on July 20, 2022. The RT6 is set to join the company’s Apollo Go ride-powered service starting in 2023. Next-generation autonomous vehicle in Beijing July 20, 2022. The RT6 is set to join the company’s Apollo Go ride-hailing service starting in 2023. Photo: Agence France Presse>

The service, which recorded more than 50,000 orders last year, is expected to launch fully driverless public transport operations in Shenzhen as local authorities prepare its coverage under the new regulations, the company said.

DeepRoute.ai’s autonomous driving system is powered by five LIDARS – light detection and various sensors – and eight cameras built into the self-driving car, replacing the integrated sensor array on the roof of the car used by previous autonomous cars. The passenger can intervene with additional brakes on the seat, but cannot control the car’s steering.

In addition to DeepRoute.ai, Internet search and artificial intelligence firm Baidu plans to deploy up to 100,000 next-generation taxis starting next year, which will help passengers cut their transportation costs in half. Baidu, which launched its Apollo Go robotaxi ride-hailing service in Shenzhen’s Nanshan district in February, aims to expand the service to 65 cities by 2025 and 100 cities by 2030.

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice report on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please browse the SCMP app or visit SCMP’s Facebook page and Twitter Pages. Copyright © 2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Limited All Rights Reserved.

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