Han Ximin

1824295095@qq.com

A DEEPROUTE.AI robotaxi equipped with Level 4-Driver 2.0 technologies, was put on a road test in Futian District yesterday, when China’s first regulation on the management of driverless vehicles took effect in Shenzhen, making driverless cars on city streets legal.

Driverless vehicles can sense their surroundings and operate without the need for human intervention. They can be classified into five categories according to their level of competence. At Level 3, the vehicle can handle all important safety functions, but the driver must take over when notified. At Level 4, the car is completely autonomous in some driving situations. At Level 5, the vehicle is fully self-contained in all cases.

Along a 21-kilometer route, a video released by the company showed, the car passed 20 intersections, encountered dozens of violations by pedestrians, e-bike drivers and vehicles such as illegally occupying road lanes and going against traffic directions or traffic lights. The vehicle can react swiftly to the violations, make detours and avoid barriers along the route.

By the end of last year, the city had opened roads spanning 145 kilometers for autonomous driving tests and issued 93 licenses, including 23 for driverless tests with passengers, data from the city’s transport bureau showed.

Driverless vehicle operators that have met local standards and been listed in the city’s industry and information bureau’s catalog can run on the road after receiving their licenses from the traffic police department.

The regulation specifies that cars with Level 3 autonomous driving abilities can now be operated on city streets after they are registered with the authorities.

The regulation also clarifies that in case of an accident, the driver, if present, will be held responsible as per existing laws. When a vehicle is operating without a driver, the operator or manager shall bear the responsibility. If, however, the accident happened due to a defect in the car, the owner or manager of the car will be eligible to seek compensation from the manufacturer.

Driverless vehicle business, as a strategic and emerging industry, has become a new growth point for innovation-driven development. Its business income will reach 200 billion yuan (US$29.56 billion) by the end of 2025, according to the city’s plan on developing driverless vehicle industrial clusters.

China has about 4,000 companies connected to the autonomous driving sector, about 20% of which are based in Shenzhen, according to Chinese corporate registration statistics on Tianyancha, a Chinese corporate registry data provider.