Baidu to build self-driving test facility in Chongqing as the Chinese city pushes ahead with smart city infrastructure

China’s Chongqing city government has tapped search giant Baidu to build a testing ground for autonomous vehicles, as Chinese cities race to prepare for smart infrastructure and a driverless future.

The 52 million yuan (US$7.3 million) project includes building road infrastructure with embedded sensors, traffic signal control systems and developing edge computing and data storage capabilities, said Baidu in a statement on Thursday.

Upon completion, the 20-square-kilometre open area in the Yongchuan district of the city is expected to be able to host spontaneous test drives for over 100 Level 4 autonomous cars, covering all urban driving scenarios.

Level 4 autonomous vehicles are cars that can achieve fully autonomous driving but might require human intervention in some circumstances.

The joint announcement comes after Baidu signed a collaboration agreement with the Chongqing municipal government in August to support the southwestern city’s transformation into a national hub for various smart city technologies.

Known as a Chinese city with high levels of traffic congestion and camera surveillance, Chongqing also has some challenging urban features for motorists, including hills and lots of building with extensions. In Yuzhong district, for example, there is a 24-floor building without a lift with three exits that lead out onto three separate streets.