JMC, WeRide to start pilot operation of autonomous urban freight service in late 2023

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinese automaker Jiangling Motors Co. (JMC) announced on July 12 through its interactive platform that it is partnering with the autonomous driving solution provider WeRide in the field of autonomous urban freight transportation. 

The companies plan to commence small-scale commercial trial operations by the end of the year, further advancing their exploration of an unmanned vehicle platform.

Robovan; photo credit: WeRide

The collaboration between JMC and WeRide has been established for some time. In September 2021, WeRide announced its entry into the urban freight transportation sector. At that time, WeRide and JMC formed collaboration on Level 4 autonomous driving light commercial vehicles (Robovans), which would be adopted by ZTO Express for local logistics and express delivery services.

The Robovan is specifically designed for urban open roads and features a Level 4 autonomous driving system. It is equipped with WeRide's full-stack software and hardware autonomous driving solution, enabling 360-degree perception, a fully redundant chassis, and an intelligent driving system. The vehicle is capable of operating throughout the day, under various weather conditions, and in all driving scenarios.

Yao Xiantao, Assistant to the President and Director of the Strategic Development Department at JMC, mentioned during the Auto Shanghai 2023 that the brand will also conduct Level 4 autonomous driving trials under fully unmanned intelligent logistics scenarios.

Furthermore, the automaker disclosed that around 20 JMC’s intelligent commercial vehicles developed in collaboration with autonomous driving companies will be deployed for commercial operation in Guangzhou by the end of June this year. It is highly likely that the intelligent commercial vehicle referred to is the aforementioned Robovan developed with WeRide.