Wuxi, a city in China that has made significant advancements in autonomous driving technology, has been granted approval by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to carry out tests on vehicles with advanced autonomous driving technologies. These companies include BYD, Nio, BAIC BluePark, SAIC Hongyan, China FAW Group, Yutong Bus, Changan Automobile, GAC, and SAIC.
The tests will be conducted at level 3, known as conditioned automation. This level allows the vehicle to make decisions like changing lanes, regulating speed, and braking to avoid collisions while the driver can focus on other tasks. The tests will be carried out in seven cities across China.
While Wuxi is not one of the cities for testing, it is a pioneer in autonomous driving technology in China. The city has developed a comprehensive system of laws, regulations and infrastructure to support autonomous driving. Wuxi’s Intelligent Driving Operational Service Center oversees the regulation of connected vehicles and remote supervision of vessel handling while providing a one-stop system for public transport users. The monitoring network uses cameras and sensors mounted on traffic lights to connect with the vehicles through technologies like the Internet of vehicles and 5.5G network.
The city has over 5000 autonomous vehicles already in operation with robotaxis being tested and robobuses already operational. Users can interact with the robotaxis through mobile applications or wait for robobuses at designated stations. The driving center monitors traffic and signs to navigate the vehicles safely while ensuring safety features like emergency stop buttons, fire extinguishers are equipped in each vehicle in case of accidents.
China’s commitment to advancing this technology reflects its plans to start mass production of autonomous vehicles as it aims towards achieving level 4 autonomous driving where human intervention is minimal.
