Gasgoo Munich- CaoCao Inc., a ride hailing platform in China incubated by Geely Group, officially launched the commercial operation of its Robovan service in Changsha on July 15, marking the deployment of its first batch of autonomous delivery vehicles in real-world urban logistics scenarios. The launch represents the company's latest step toward commercializing autonomous freight services.
Image source: CaoCao Inc.
Unlike a conventional vehicle sales model, CaoCao's Robovan business combines vehicle sales, leasing and Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) to provide customers with autonomous logistics capacity on demand. The company said the approach transforms driverless delivery vehicles from one-time product purchases into continuously operated mobility services, offering greater operational flexibility and lower delivery costs. The Changsha rollout is intended to validate a commercial model that can be replicated in additional cities.
CaoCao believes competition in autonomous logistics is increasingly being defined not only by autonomous driving technology but also by operational execution and commercialization capabilities. As the primary commercialization platform for Geely Holding's RoboX initiative, the company has built an integrated ecosystem combining purpose-built intelligent vehicles, autonomous driving technology and digital fleet operations. Robovan is initially targeting high-frequency logistics scenarios such as parcel delivery, supermarket replenishment, warehouse-to-store transfers and urban freight distribution, with plans to gradually expand into on-demand delivery services.
The launch follows CaoCao's introduction of its RoboX strategy in June, when the company announced a broader AI transformation aimed at building a global physical AI mobility platform. Under the strategy, CaoCao plans to deploy 100,000 Robotaxis and 100,000 Robovans by 2030. The commercial launch in Changsha marks the first coordinated deployment of the company's Robotaxi and Robovan businesses, advancing its ambition to build an AI-powered urban mobility network serving both passenger transportation and goods delivery.
