WeRide granted Beijing’s first road test permit for L4 self-driving Robobus

Beijing (Gasgoo)- On January 18, Chinese autonomous driving startup WeRide was granted with Beijing’s first road test license for L4 self-driving minibus (Robobus) in the Beijing High-level Automated Driving Demonstration Area (BJHAD).

Photo credit: WeRide

The license permitted WeRide to operate Robobuses on the open roads in the BJHAD, which covers an area of 60 square kilometers. This also marked the first achievement of WeRide in the autonomous driving field in the new year.

For the subdivision of self-driving minibuses, Beijing has for the first time clarified the definition standards and tailored relevant policies for the unmanned shuttle vehicles. WeRide’s factory-installed mass-produced Robobus features no steering wheel, no brake pedal, no cockpit, and a fully redundant design. It is the world's first driverless minibus available for large-scale production.

The company's Robobus solely relies on pure electric power with a maximum speed of 40 km/h. The V2X-enabled vehicle can be flexibly deployed in a variety of open or closed traffic scenarios and operate on urban open roads all day long. 

Up to now, WeRide has deployed self-driving minibuses in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Wuxi, and Bo’ao cities in China, as well as Riyadh and other cities abroad, providing an alternative choice for local citizens' daily commute.