Author: Andrew Xu

China’s autonomous driving industry continues to expand its Robotaxi operations despite heightened regulatory scrutiny following a major disruption involving Baidu’s Apollo Go service earlier this year. The sector is currently operating under a regulatory review period after an incident in Wuhan on March 31, 2026, during which nearly 100 Apollo Go vehicles reportedly stopped operating simultaneously. Regulatory Review Following Wuhan Incident The disruption prompted a response from Chinese authorities, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Transport holding a joint meeting in mid-April to address safety concerns and require corrective…

Jiangsu Zeron Technology Co., Ltd. has filed an application to list on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, according to industry reports. The filing was submitted on May 28, with Goldman Sachs (Asia) and Haitong International Capital serving as joint sponsors for the proposed initial public offering. Focus on Smart and Autonomous Heavy Trucks Zeron positions itself as a developer of smart and autonomous heavy-duty truck solutions, pursuing a vertically integrated strategy that combines vehicle development, powertrain technology and autonomous driving systems. The company said its proprietary autonomous driving platform, known as the Zeron Autonomous Driving System,…

CaoCao Inc. has become the first company authorized to conduct driverless robotaxi road testing in Hangzhou, marking a significant milestone in its autonomous mobility ambitions and strengthening its position in China’s rapidly evolving robotaxi market. The Hong Kong-listed mobility platform said it received approval in April 2026 to begin public-road testing of robotaxis without a human safety operator on board, a key regulatory step before commercial deployment. The company described the permit as validation of the maturity and safety of its autonomous driving system and an important foundation for obtaining similar approvals in other Chinese cities. The authorization comes as…

Chinese LiDAR manufacturer RoboSense reported a sharp increase in robotics-related sensor shipments in the first quarter of 2026, with deliveries rising more than fourteenfold from a year earlier and surpassing its automotive business for the first time. The Shenzhen-based company said robotics LiDAR shipments jumped 1,458.8% year-on-year to 185,500 units during the quarter, accounting for more than 56% of total deliveries. The shift marks a significant milestone for RoboSense, as its robotics segment overtook advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as the company’s largest source of shipment volume. Overall LiDAR shipments reached 330,300 units in the first quarter, an increase of…

Chinese electric heavy-duty truck startup Zeron said on Tuesday it had completed a $200 million Series B2 funding round as the company accelerates development of its autonomous driving truck business. Investors participating in the round included Zijin Mining, Shandong Energy Group through its Yankuang Capital unit, and Sanhua Holding Group. International investors included Temasek and InnoVen Capital. Zeron said the participation of industrial investors would support expansion in mining transportation and industrial logistics applications, while international investor involvement reflected continued global interest in China’s autonomous driving sector. The funding round marks the company’s second major financing event within two months.…

BYD said its assisted driving systems are now deployed across more than 60 vehicle models and nearly 3 million vehicles globally, with severe accident rates reduced to roughly one-sixth of human driving levels based on airbag-triggered incidents per 10 million kilometres, according to Autohome. The figures were presented by Yang Dongsheng, Senior Vice President of BYD Group and head of the company’s Automotive New Technology Research Institute, during the 13th Intelligent Connected Vehicle Technology Annual Conference in Shanghai on May 21. Yang said BYD accelerated large-scale deployment of intelligent driving systems in early 2025 and now offers Level 2 assisted…

Tesla has again revised the naming of its advanced driver-assistance software in China, a move that has fueled speculation that the company may be preparing for a broader rollout of its Full Self-Driving technology in the market. The company’s Chinese website now refers to the feature as “Tesla Assisted Driving” instead of its previous naming, while maintaining the package price at 64,000 yuan ($9,420). According to Tesla China’s website, the package includes all functions from the company’s basic and enhanced assisted-driving systems, with the full version of Tesla Assisted Driving listed as “available later.” “In the future, vehicles will be…

Xpeng said it believes LiDAR sensors are no longer essential for autonomous driving systems in passenger vehicles, as the company continues transitioning toward a pure vision-based approach similar to that used by Tesla. Xpeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng said during a media briefing on Thursday that the company does not feel pressured by the increasing adoption of LiDAR technology in China’s higher-priced vehicle segment. According to He, the share of models priced above 150,000 yuan ($22,050) equipped with LiDAR continues to rise in China, but Xpeng remains committed to its camera-based autonomous driving strategy. The comments came one day…

Hesai Group said it has secured a new design win from a major European automaker involving more than 1 million LiDAR units, strengthening the company’s position in the global advanced driver assistance systems market. The Nasdaq-listed company announced the agreement on Wednesday but did not identify the automaker involved. According to Hesai, the order will supply LiDAR systems for more than 10 vehicle models under the European manufacturer’s Chinese joint venture brands. The company said the deal reflects growing international recognition of its proprietary chip-based LiDAR technology and large-scale manufacturing capabilities. Hesai said its compact long-range ATX LiDAR system has…

CaoCao Inc. plans to deploy 100 robotaxis in Shanghai’s Jiading District in 2026 under a strategic cooperation agreement with Shanghai International Automobile City Group, as the company accelerates efforts to commercialize autonomous ride-hailing services in China. The Hong Kong-listed company said it will establish a wholly owned subsidiary within the core area of Shanghai International Automobile City (SIAC) to support robotaxi operations and large-scale commercial deployment in the city. Jiading District has emerged as one of Shanghai’s major hubs for intelligent connected vehicle development and autonomous driving testing. Under the agreement, SIAC will provide CaoCao access to local intelligent vehicle…

BYD has signed a framework agreement with Chinese car rental provider Car Inc for the supply of up to 100,000 vehicles, expanding cooperation between the two companies as demand for new energy vehicles grows in China’s mobility sector. The agreement also includes plans to deploy BYD fast-charging stations at selected Car Inc rental locations across the country. Car Inc, one of China’s largest vehicle rental operators, began electrifying its fleet in 2025 to align with the country’s accelerating adoption of new energy vehicles, according to reports from Chinese media outlet CnEVPost. The new arrangement builds on an earlier collaboration between…

Lenovo has entered a strategic partnership with WeRide to deploy up to 200,000 autonomous vehicles worldwide over the next five years, including robotaxis, the companies said. The collaboration was announced at Auto China in Beijing, underscoring ambitions by both firms to accelerate the commercialization of autonomous driving technologies at scale. Founded in 1984, Lenovo has expanded beyond its core personal computer business to become a broader technology provider, while Guangzhou-based WeRide has emerged as a developer of autonomous driving systems with operations spanning robotaxis, shuttle buses, delivery vehicles and sanitation services. https://twitter.com/WeRide_ai/status/2047654287535440103 WeRide has previously drawn attention for its robotaxi…

Pony AI has received regulatory approval in Singapore to launch an invite-only autonomous ride service, marking the final stage before broader public deployment. The company said the service will be operated in partnership with ComfortDelGro, as part of its overseas commercialization strategy. The autonomous service will run along a 12-kilometre route in the Punggol district, connecting residential areas such as Punggol Northshore and Waterway Sunrise with key destinations including Oasis Terraces and Punggol Coast Mall. The journey is expected to take about 55 minutes and provide improved connectivity to MRT stations, potentially saving passengers up to 15 minutes compared with…

Aerofugia Technology has begun preparations for an initial public offering (IPO) as it targets a listing on Shanghai’s STAR Market, according to a filing on the website of the China Securities Regulatory Commission dated April 2. The company signed a pre-IPO tutoring agreement on April 1 with CSC Financial, which will support compliance work for the planned listing. Geely Terrafugia Hubei remains the controlling shareholder with a 40.02% stake. The move follows a funding round of nearly 1 billion yuan (about $140–146 million) completed in February, which the company said was the largest single investment in China’s low-altitude economy so…

Chinese technology company Baidu experienced a rare disruption in its autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, after multiple robotaxis stalled simultaneously in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, according to local media and authorities. The incident occurred on the night of March 31, when several Apollo Go vehicles stopped operating on city roads, including elevated highways, leaving some passengers temporarily stranded. Local traffic police said they began receiving emergency calls around 9 p.m. and responded to the scene, ensuring that all passengers disembarked safely with no injuries reported. A preliminary investigation by Wuhan traffic authorities attributed the disruption to a system…

Chinese technology company Baidu has launched fully driverless commercial operations of its Apollo Go ride-hailing platform in Dubai, marking a significant step in its expansion into the Middle East. Starting March 30, members of the public in Dubai can access the service through the Apollo Go app, the company said. The rollout follows a temporary suspension earlier in the month due to regional conflict affecting operations in the United Arab Emirates. The deployment is being carried out under the guidance of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), with robotaxi services introduced in phases for commercial use. Baidu said Apollo Go…

CALB has started mass production of aviation-grade batteries for Aridge, marking a step toward the planned commercial rollout of electric flying vehicles. The company said the batteries have rolled off the production line at its Chengdu facility and will serve as the core power system for Aridge’s modular flying car, known as the Land Aircraft Carrier and codenamed X3-F. The development supports the ambitions of Xpeng, which is backing Aridge and aims to begin mass production of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles later this year. According to CALB, the aviation batteries use high-silicon and high-nickel cells with…

RoboSense reported its first-ever quarterly profit, reflecting strong demand for LiDAR sensors across robotics and electric vehicle applications. The Shenzhen-based company recorded a net profit of 103.7 million yuan ($15 million) in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared with a net loss of 131.1 million yuan in the same period a year earlier, according to its earnings report. Fourth-quarter revenue rose 46.1% year-on-year to 750.7 million yuan, while gross margin improved to 28.5%, up 6.4 percentage points, supported by a more optimized product mix. The result follows a similar milestone by domestic rival Hesai, which recently reported its first full-year…

QCraft has completed a $100 million Series D funding round, as the company intensifies its focus on advanced autonomous driving and physical artificial intelligence technologies. The funding, backed by a leading domestic automaker and several industrial funds, will be used to expand research and development in areas such as world models and reinforcement learning, while also strengthening organizational capabilities and talent development, QCraft said in a statement. Yu Qian, co-founder and chief executive of QCraft, said the company will shift its strategic focus toward Level 4 autonomous driving and general-purpose physical AI, alongside accelerating its expansion into international markets. Yu…

Xpeng has established a new robotaxi business unit, marking a strategic step to accelerate its development and commercialization of autonomous driving technology. The newly created division will operate as a tier-one organization within the company, overseeing product definition, project integration, research and development testing, and daily operations, according to a person familiar with the matter. The unit is expected to collaborate across Xpeng’s existing business lines, leveraging shared resources to advance its robotaxi program. He Xiaopeng said during the company’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call that Xpeng plans to begin passenger-carrying demonstration operations for its robotaxi service in the second half…