We tried out a self-driving robotaxi in China – it was a very ‘considerate’ ride
- As AI firms race to put autonomous taxis on the streets of China, the Post‘s Jane Zhang took a test ride using WeRide’s RoboTaxi service
- The self-driving cab service opened test rides to the general public last Thursday
From Batman to Transformers, self-driving cars have long captured the popular imagination.
They are part of a global move towards autonomous vehicles, which are quickly becoming the world's first major AI revolution. The sector has drawn billions of dollars of investment over the past few years, with the global autonomous vehicles market projected to be worth US$65.3 billion by 2027, according to a report by Market Research Future.
Major US players such as Google, Tesla and General Motors have jumped on board with projects trialing the technology, and Chinese firms are racing to catch up: more than 100,000 trips have already been taken on Alphabet’s Waymo One, its commercial self-driving ride-hailing service, since it was launched in Arizona, US last December.
In the white-hot competition between Chinese companies to push out robotaxis – self-driving taxis ordered through e-hailing services–, two contenders have emerged as the first to launch public trials of their autonomous cab services in the country.