Author: Andrew Xu

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…

Chinese autonomous driving technology company WeRide has entered the Slovakian market through a strategic partnership aimed at launching the country’s first national-level commercial autonomous driving initiative. The company said on Thursday it had partnered with Elevate Slovakia, a multi-stakeholder initiative, to deploy a range of autonomous mobility solutions, marking its expansion into its 12th global market. The project represents Europe’s first large-scale, state-supported commercialization effort for autonomous driving, according to the company, and makes Slovakia the fourth European country in WeRide’s portfolio. Under the agreement, WeRide will introduce its full lineup of autonomous products, including robotaxis, Robobus shuttles, Robovan delivery…