WeRide Set to Launch Its New Generation of Robotaxi on October 15th
WeRide announced on Thursday that they will be globally launching a new generation of their Robotaxi on October 15th. They promise a fully automatic, brand-new experience that will be applicable to all scenarios, although specific details have yet to be released.
Unique in its global reach, WeRide holds autonomous driving licenses in four countries: China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore. They have been active in autonomous driving research, testing, and operations in 30 cities across these countries.
WeRide has a proven safety record. Since the company launched China’s first L4 autonomous taxi in 2018, in collaboration with the Guangzhou Bus Group Baiyun Company, to this year’s introduction of the first batch of high-speed commercial passenger services at Beijing’s Daxing Airport, there have been no at-fault accidents reported in over 1700 days.
On a global scale, the commercial development of Robotaxi varies, divided into tiers based on national policies, funding, the level of autonomous driving technology development, and commercial viability. As of 2023, China and the U.S. are leading the pack, having already launched commercial operations in designated areas without safety drivers. Countries like Germany, France, and the UAE have initiated small-scale commercial trials that still employ safety drivers. Meanwhile, the UK and Saudi Arabia are primarily focusing on road testing.
