From unmanned delivery vehicles in closed parks to self-driving trucks on expressways...The BDA has implemented multiple application scenarios for autonomous driving, taking the lead in commercial exploration.

Robotaxi enters paid service mode

"The driving is smooth and the price is reasonable. I didn't expect that this technology really came into life and brought us convenience," said a woman surnamed Yuan, a resident of the BDA, who took a self-driving taxi for just 1.34 yuan ($0.21) on Nov 25. 

Screenshots from her order can be seen online. It was the first commercial order after Beijing opened the first commercialization pilot for autonomous transportation in China.

One hour before Yuan's order was completed, the world's first network-connected cloud-controlled high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone launched the country's first commercial pilot for autonomous transportation within a 60-square-kilometer core area of the BDA.

Baidu Apollo and Pony.ai are among the first to be approved and conduct commercial pilot services, which means domestic autonomous driving has entered a new stage of commercial exploration.

Commercial application of unmanned distribution

Last May, the Beijing High-level Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone issued the first group of vehicle codes for unmanned delivery vehicles in China to three companies: Meituan, JD, and Neolix.

A staff member pastes a vehicle code on an unmanned sales vehicle. [Photo/kfqgw.beijing.gov.cn]

Self-driving trucks start highway test

On the last day of 2021, Truck.tech and Pony.ai autonomous trucks hit the road one after another, ushering in the "high-speed" era of autonomous driving. 

Since then, autonomous trucks have taken another step forward towards commercial operation.

Self-driving trucks start expressway testing. [Photo/kfqgw.beijing.gov.cn]

The pilot zone has implemented multiple application scenarios, such as unmanned taxis, unmanned distribution, unmanned retail, and trunk logistics, and issued 129 passenger car license plates, 81 unmanned vehicle codes, and four truck license plates, with accumulated safe testing mileage reaching 2.96 million kilometers.