DiDi begins driverless passenger-carrying trials with Robotaxi R2 in Beijing, Guangzhou

Gasgoo Munich- DiDi Autonomous Driving has begun driverless passenger trials with its Robotaxi R2 in designated demonstration zones in Beijing and Guangzhou, according to a post the company issued earlier this week. The vehicle combines RoboSense's EM4 digital long-range LiDAR with its E1 fully solid-state blind-spot LiDAR.

Image source: DiDi Autonomous Driving

The R2's sensor configuration comprises four high-resolution primary LiDAR units and six fully solid-state sensors for blind-spot coverage. Built around RoboSense's proprietary SPAD-SoC chip, the arrangement provides redundancy across the Robotaxi's perception system.

Introduced in early 2025, the EM4 is described by RoboSense as the world's first ultra-long-range "thousand-line" LiDAR. It incorporates a digital architecture, interference suppression, signal processing across varying operating conditions and lossless data compression, with a claimed maximum detection range of 600 meters.

The sensor offers angular resolution of up to 0.050° by 0.025°. According to the company, it can detect a tire at up to 170 meters and smaller objects—including rocks, cardboard boxes and animals crossing the road—at distances of up to 250 meters.

The E1 provides a 120-degree horizontal and 90-degree vertical field of view, enabling it to cover blind spots close to the vehicle.

DiDi's R2 is not the first Robotaxi to adopt the two-sensor combination. WeRide's upgraded Robotaxi GXR also pairs the EM4 as its primary LiDAR with the E1 for near-field blind-spot coverage.

RoboSense previously reported LiDAR sales of 719,200 units in the first half of the year, a surge of 169.6% from a year earlier. Of that total, approximately 436,600 units were used in advanced driver-assistance systems, up 98.0% year on year, while sales for robotics and other applications skyrockted 510.4% from a year earlier to around 282,600 units.