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Autonomous vehicles
AbacusTech

Self-driving taxi service launches in China (but only for two hours a day)

Autonomous car service is limited but shows why China could overtake the US in AI

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The taxis are reportedly all Level 4 vehicles -- self-driving cars that can run without a human behind the wheel -- but they’ll all have drivers during the trial run, so... (Picture: Southern Metropolis Daily)
Xinmei Shen
This article originally appeared on ABACUS
Waymo is widely seen as the leader in self-driving cars, but they’re struggling to officially launch an autonomous taxi service in the US.

In China, a self-driving taxi service launched this week -- albeit with plenty of strings attached.

Three self-driving taxis went on the road in Guangzhou yesterday, accepting online orders from the public with a starting fare of 12 yuan (US$1.73). The cars were made by startup WeRide.ai (formerly named JingChi.ai) and operated by Guangzhou Public Transportation Group.
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The taxis are reportedly all Level 4 vehicles -- self-driving cars that can run without a human behind the wheel -- but they’ll all have drivers during the trial run, so... (Picture: Southern Metropolis Daily)
The taxis are reportedly all Level 4 vehicles -- self-driving cars that can run without a human behind the wheel -- but they’ll all have drivers during the trial run, so... (Picture: Southern Metropolis Daily)

But to be clear, it’s not the most advanced fleet in the world. During the trial run, the cars only operated for two hours a day, and only for a short distance in a college area. And despite claims that the cars are “Level 4” autonomous vehicles -- able to run without a human behind the wheel -- all the cars have drivers sitting in the front seat, just in case.

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Still, that a one year-old startup can put self-driving cars on public roads at all speaks to why China may overtake the US in AI one day.

Waymo enters China as nation accelerates self-driving car push

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