Recently, the topic of autonomous taxis, or Robotaxis, has been particularly hot, with both supporters and detractors. Let's first look at the achievements. As of May this year, Baidu's "RoboTaxi" service has achieved more than 100,000 kilometers of unmanned driving in its core operational city of Wuhan, and it is considered likely to achieve profitability in the business model of autonomous ride-hailing services earlier than expected. In addition to the early batch of cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Wuhan, RoboTaxi has already opened up manned testing operations in 11 cities including Chongqing, Fuzhou, Jiaxing, Chengdu, and Hefei.

Regarding this, we have several questions that need to be understood before we can analyze the matter in detail.

First, can autonomous taxis really make money?

Although the initial investment is high, data shows that as the industry develops, the cost of Robotaxis will gradually decrease, while the market size will continue to grow. Not picking and choosing orders and not refusing to carry passengers are the biggest advantages of Robotaxis, which also happen to meet the needs of some passengers and will gradually grow into a niche market.

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Second, will it really take over jobs in the taxi industry?

There may be an impact in the short term, but the impact is not significant. Wuhan is the area where RoboTaxi has the most vehicles and the widest range of operations. The Wuhan demonstration zone has 491 autonomous vehicles running regularly, but compared to the volume of 29,400 ride-hailing cars operating daily in Wuhan (data disclosed by the Wuhan Transportation Bureau in May), the proportion of RoboTaxi deployment is less than 2%. Moreover, RoboTaxi is more focused on point-to-point and night-time pick-up and drop-off needs, so the current impact on the industry is extremely limited. The long-term effects remain to be seen.Additionally, RoboTaxi requires the presence of safety officers. Currently, 200 safety officers are deployed in the Wuhan area, and one remote monitoring operator is needed for every three vehicles. The safety officers and remote monitoring operators are new positions created by new technologies.

Thirdly, in the event of a traffic accident involving an autonomous taxi, how is liability determined?

In 2022, the Standing Committee of the Seventh People's Congress of Shenzhen passed the "Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Regulations on Intelligent Connected Vehicles," which is the first regulation on autonomous vehicles in China and has been implemented since August 1, 2022. Subsequently, places like Beijing and Wuhan have also successively introduced relevant drafts for comments. The basic approach to determining liability follows the principle of finding the driver if there is one, and the operator if there is no driver.

Taking the "Beijing Autonomous Driving Vehicle Regulations (Draft for Comments)" as an example: During the period when an autonomous driving vehicle is driving on the road, if a traffic violation occurs, the public security traffic management department shall handle and determine it in accordance with the current laws and regulations. If there is a driver in the vehicle, the driver shall be dealt with according to the law; if there is no driver in the vehicle, the vehicle owner and manager shall be dealt with. However, the determination of traffic accidents is inherently a very complex matter, which requires more case accumulation and extensive discussion, ultimately leading to the improvement of legislation.

Fourthly, what technologies are used in autonomous taxis?

The technology of autonomous taxis is a highly integrated system that covers innovations and applications in multiple fields. Here are some key technologies:Sensor Technology: Autonomous taxis utilize a variety of sensors, including LiDAR, cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and ultrasonic sensors, to achieve precise perception of the surrounding environment. Data Annotation and Processing: The accuracy of autonomous driving systems largely depends on high-quality data annotation. Deep Learning and Algorithms: Autonomous driving systems are continuously optimized through deep learning algorithms to improve their understanding and response to complex traffic scenarios. Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Technology: V2X technology allows vehicles to communicate with traffic infrastructure, other vehicles, and networks, enhancing driving safety and efficiency. Remote Monitoring and Control: In some autonomous taxi services, remote safety operators can take over the vehicle through 5G cloud driving technology when risk warnings are detected, handling emergency situations. High-Precision Maps: Autonomous driving systems rely on high-precision maps to obtain road information, including lane markings, traffic signals, and road conditions.

Fifthly, in which cities in China are autonomous taxis in operation?

Here are the specific situations in some cities:

Shanghai: Shanghai has opened autonomous driving test roads in areas such as Jiading, Lingang, Fengxian, and Jinqiao, and plans to put autonomous taxis into the demonstration operation phase. Additionally, users in the Lingang area of Shanghai can summon autonomous driving mobility services through WeChat mini-programs, which are currently in the demonstration operation phase and not fully unmanned commercial operations.

Beijing: The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area has allowed autonomous taxis to hit the road, with services provided by companies such as Baidu and Pony.ai. Within the 60 square kilometers of the Beijing Yizhuang Economic Development Area, fully unmanned autonomous driving Robotaxi operations have begun.

Chongqing and Wuhan: These two cities were the first to issue policies for the commercial pilot of fully unmanned autonomous driving, allowing autonomous vehicles without safety officers inside to operate commercially on public roads.

Shenzhen and Guangzhou: Shenzhen issued the "Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Intelligent Connected Vehicle Management Regulations," becoming the first local regulation on the management of intelligent connected vehicles in China. In Guangzhou, autonomous taxis operated by Pony.ai are also available on the roads of Nansha.

Changsha: Changsha is also one of the cities that allow autonomous vehicles to conduct commercial trials in specific areas and at specific times.Sixthly, which companies in China are involved in the field of autonomous taxi services?

In China, companies involved in the field of autonomous taxi services include but are not limited to the following:

Baidu Apollo: Baidu's Apollo platform is one of the pioneers in the autonomous taxi field. At the Baidu Apollo Day, Baidu showcased the autonomous driving large model ADFM and the sixth-generation autonomous vehicle "RoboTaxi", and Baidu also disclosed for the first time the profit timeline for RoboTaxi.

Pony.ai: Pony.ai Technology has obtained a demonstration application permit for driverless intelligent connected vehicles in Shanghai. Shanghai residents can book a driverless autonomous taxi (Robotaxi) through a mobile app, covering a route of 205 kilometers in Pudong.

WeRide: WeRide is a company focused on Level 4 autonomous driving technology and has launched Robotaxi services in Guangzhou and other places, making certain progress in commercial operations.

DiDi: DiDi has chosen to establish a joint venture with GAC Aion to form Aiding Technology Company, and plans to introduce mass-produced L4-level Robotaxi vehicles, committing to the research and application of autonomous driving technology.

AutoX: AutoX has proposed the "trinity" model, which is the cooperation between autonomous driving, car manufacturers, and operators, to achieve commercialization and scale expansion through platform and asset-light models.

Cybertron: Companies such as Cybertron Technology have obtained a demonstration application permit for driverless intelligent connected vehicles in Shanghai, and users can summon their autonomous driving travel services through WeChat mini-programs.Dongfeng YueXiang: Dongfeng YueXiang provides autonomous shuttle services in the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone, which is part of Wuhan's exploration of the commercialization of autonomous driving.

These companies represent the main players in China's autonomous taxi industry, having achieved certain milestones in technology research and development, policy support, and market application. With the advancement of technology and the promotion of policies, it is anticipated that autonomous taxis will achieve broader commercial application in the coming years. While major domestic platforms are working together, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also indicated that the company's developed Robotaxi will achieve mass production and seek entry into China by 2024. Once the market opens up, more foreign companies may also join the competition.