On November 25th, according to Xinhua News Agency, Beijing officially opened the first domestic commercial pilot of autonomous driving services, with Baidu Apollo and Pony.ai being the first to obtain the pilot licenses. This marks the domestic autonomous driving industry entering the stage of commercial pilot from the testing phase, which is of great significance for the landing of autonomous driving technology and the transformation of future travel.
Corresponding policies, the “Beijing Intelligent Connected Vehicle Policy Pilot Zone Autonomous Driving Travel Services Commercial Pilot Management Implementation Measures (Trial)” have also been issued. At present, safety and reliability are the basic principles for conducting commercial testing.
The Pony.ai commercial pilot area covers the Zhongguancun area in Beijing. There are about 200 travel sites in residential areas, commercial centers, and technology parks. The service time is from 8:30 to 22:30. Users can use or experience it through mobile app.
Baidu Apollo will develop commercial pilot services in an area of no more than 60 square kilometers in Beijing’s Yizhuang district, with no more than 100 autonomous vehicles deployed at this stage.
The autonomous driving industry has gone through the stages of technology verification and product development, and is now moving towards commercial deployment.
This opening of commercial pilot for autonomous driving in Beijing has opened up a complete closed loop for autonomous driving enterprises from technology research and development to commercial landing. It will help enterprises accelerate the innovation of autonomous driving technology and operational models.
The relevant person in charge stated that, on the principle of ensuring safety and controllability, the commercial pilot road sections or regional scope will be gradually expanded, and the commercialized large-scale operation will be promoted in stages.
🔗Information source: Xinhua News Agency Official Weibo
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