WeRide Receives Strategic Investment from GAC Group to Develop Robotaxis for Large-scale Operation
WeRide, an autonomous driving company, has received a strategic investment from Chinese automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC Group). The investment deepens WeRide and GAC’s strategic partnership in the joint development and manufacturing of purpose-built Robotaxis.
The two parties plan to build a fleet of thousands Robotaxis in the coming years that will provide safe, affordable, and green autonomous driving mobility services to the public.
WeRide and GAC will build a comprehensive framework for the development of Robotaxis which will cover the underlying technology, products, and commercialization. WeRide employs autonomous driving technology and has more than two years’ experience operating its Robotaxi service to the public. Meanwhile, GAC will provide the vehicle platform with built-in redundancy systems that are suited for WeRide’s L4 autonomous driving vehicles.
The new Robotaxi model jointly developed by the two companies will be based on GAC’s X-soul, the automaker’s newly launched electronic and electrical architecture. X-Soul uses an innovative modular design, which can fully meet WeRide’s customization requirements for the next generation of Robotaxi.
WeRide has always been a partner of GAC. In 2018, WeRide and GAC launched China’s first L4 Robotaxi. In November 2019, WeRide kickstarted China’s first publicly accessible Robotaxi service in Guangzhou, covering an area of more than 144 square kilometers. The operation has been providing safe mobility services for more than two years.
Last month, WeRide announced a strategic cooperation agreement with ONTIME, a mobility service platform of GAC, and jointly offered the public trial ride of its newly developed Robotaxis during the Guangzhou Auto Show.
