A First in China: WeRide's Robovan Granted Approval for Fully Driverless Public Road Testing in Guangzhou

On May 22, 2024, as a global leader in autonomous driving technology, WeRide received the license for fully driverless Robovan road testing in Guangzhou, with which Robovan was approved for fully driverless and freight testing in six districts—Baiyun, Huadu, Panyu, Huangpu, Nansha, Haizhu—and the entire Nansha area, covering 797 test roads and 3,247 kilometers of two-way mileage.

This represents China’s first L4-level fully driverless remote testing license for autonomous freight vehicles operating on open urban roads, as well as the country's first 24/7 self-driving package delivery testing license. Achieving this milestone significantly propels WeRide's advancements toward the commercialization of autonomous urban freight transport. (WeRide Robovan on the Streets of Guangzhou)

WeRide Robovan is China’s first L4 autonomous freight vehicle, developed on the JMC BEV light bus model. It is equipped with WeRide’s full-stack software and hardware solutions, featuring 360° surround perception, a fully redundant chassis, and intelligent driving systems that allow it to operate around the clock in all scenarios, including city centers, urban villages, and highways, providing efficient, cost-effective, and digitalized autonomous freight solutions.

To meet the demands of large-scale commercial deployment, WeRide has specifically developed a cloud-based platform and an autonomous driving freight app, enabling real-time checking of routes and autonomous driving status. It also supports multidimensional commercial-grade operational capabilities such as voice customer service, vehicle positioning, order status management, delivery progress tracking, and fleet dispatching. (The WeRide Robovan Performs Freight Testing Tasks)

Currently, WeRide has partnered with multiple leading logistics companies in China to launch a commercial pilot program for autonomous urban freight operations on Guangzhou International Bio Island, during which over 50,000 parcels are transported daily.

Prior to this, WeRide had launched commercial operations for its Robotaxi autonomous taxis and Robosweeper autonomous sanitation vehicles in Guangzhou. On December 30, 2023, WeRide, in collaboration with Guangzhou Bus Group, initiated the nation’s first commercial operation of Robobus.

Now, with approval to conduct fully driverless remote testing and freight testing of the Robovan autonomous urban freight vehicle, WeRide's commercial potential in the smart freight sector is significantly enhanced. This proactive policy will also drive the entire autonomous driving industry to explore and practice commercial applications in smart freight scenarios.

Looking ahead, WeRide will collaborate with more partners to create a new ecosystem for intra-city freight transportation, combining "autonomous driving technology companies + vehicle manufacturers + scenario partners", to accelerate the application and deployment of autonomous driving technology in the logistics industry, and to provide global industry users with efficient, economical, and convenient smart freight services.