QCraft launches China-first 5G ride-hailing Robobus on open streets

Beijing (Gasgoo)- China’s autonomous driving solutions developer QCraft has recently started the normal operation of three bus routes using its 5G autonomous Robobus that are open to the public in the CBD area of Wuxi City.

The launch ceremony; photo credit: QCraft

QCraft adopted a ride-hailing manner on the newly established urban bus routes, successfully branching out from Robobus to the Robotaxi market. The 5G connected autonomous busses integrated the microcirculation pattern, fixed point pick-up, and ride-hailing model together, creating a brand-new business model for Robobus, said the CEO of QCraft, Yu Qian.

The CEO believed they had shattered the bound between Robotaxi and Robobus, providing a new solution for the “last 2-mile” challenge.

Photo credit: QCraft 

As an emerging public transportation model, manual ride-hailing buses have been tested in several Chinese cities and received positive feedback. QCraft believes the autonomous ride-hailing buses will involve more vehicles and passengers into the city transportation big data, promoting an orderly and efficient interactive city transportation system.

Photo credit: QCraft

The company was permitted to operate the said buses on three microcirculation routes totaling 15 kilometers. The routes cover multiple complex urban scenarios such as office areas, residential areas, schools, and shopping centers, connecting bus and subway hubs. Users can call for the bus by typing in their destinations via a mobile application. 

The newly launched automated ride-hailing buses were built on QCraft’s self-developed Robobus, the Longzhou ONE, powered by its “Driven-by-QCraft” autonomous driving solution. The buses operate under a safe 20 to 50 km/h speed limit on open city roads.