The 2nd City in South China! WeRide Secures Approval to Commercially Operate Robobus in Hengqin
On September 10, 2024, WeRide, in collaboration with the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone (referred to as “Hengqin Cooperation Zone”), officially launched the autonomous vehicle commercial pilot, commencing the fee-charged operation service for WeRide Robobus. This is a significant milestone as the second Robobus paid service in South China, while also representing the first batch of Robobus commercial operation projects since the establishment of the Hengqin Cooperation Zone.
Meanwhile, WeRide has officially obtained approval to conduct regular road tests in the Hengqin Cooperation Zonee for its Robobus with no steering wheel nor safety driver in the driving position. This lays a solid foundation for achieving purely driverless commercial operations. During the testing period, WeRide Robobus achieved zero safety incidents and manual interventions, fully demonstrating the maturity and solid tech of WeRide autonomous vehicles.
The Hengqin Cooperation Zone is located on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary and serves as an important hub connecting Macao with mainland China, with the closest point to Macao being only 187 meters away. As a prominent feature of the cooperation zone’s “Smart City + Intelligent Transportation Industry,” WeRide Robobus has been conducting passenger-carrying demonstration tests in the cooperation zone since July 2023. To date, it has accumulated over 100,000 kilometers of autonomous driving and served more than 20,000 passengers, continuously providing residents and tourists of Guangdong and Macao with convenient, green, and intelligent transportation experiences.
The approval to commercially operate paid services in Hengqin marks WeRide’s second Robobus paid service in South China. On December 30, 2023, WeRide, in partnership with Guangzhou Bus Group, launched the nation’s first commercial paid operation service for Robobus, which has now conducted 10 operational routes. The continuous commercial implementation reaffirms the maturity and replicability of the WeRide business model and our remarkable speed in commercialization.
Currently, WeRide Robobus has conducted road tests and operations in nearly 30 cities worldwide, including Guangzhou, Beijing, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi, and will continue to bring safe, convenient, and intelligent autonomous driving services to more regions and communities.