China deploys autonomous trucks and delivery vehicles amid safety concerns
China is deploying autonomous trucks and delivery vehicles across multiple cities despite safety concerns. A previous autonomous vehicle crash killed three university students, and recent accidents from misuse of assisted driving systems have raised public concern about the technology's safety readiness.
What happened
China has deployed autonomous trucks on highways between Beijing and Tianjin, and autonomous delivery vehicles in over 50 cities including Hefei. Pony.ai operates test routes with safety drivers aboard, and Rino.ai operates over 500 autonomous delivery vehicles.
Safety incidents involving misuse of assisted driving systems have become frequent. An autonomous vehicle accident in self-driving mode resulted in three university students' deaths, creating public concern about the technology.
Reported impact
Public acceptance of autonomous driving technology in China remains low following safety incidents. The Economist Intelligence Unit analyst noted that public perception is crucial to decision-makers and markets, particularly for autonomous trucks.
Delivery costs have decreased; companies report that three days of continuous operation with three autonomous delivery vehicles costs approximately the same as employing one human driver.
Index analysis
Technical challenges include the need for higher-performance cameras on heavy trucks to detect hazards at greater distances, additional sensors on complex roads, uncertain risks from extreme weather and busy traffic, and high development costs.
Experts note that autonomous vehicles face lower public tolerance for errors than human drivers. Public perception focuses on whether the technology reduces shopping costs or represents progress, versus concerns about accidents or job displacement.
Governance controls
The Chinese government requires safety drivers aboard autonomous trucks under current regulations. Local authorities in Anhui Province have permitted multiple autonomous delivery vehicle companies to operate.
Industry experts expect autonomous heavy trucks on highways without restrictions to occur within at least five years, contingent on resolving safety and perception challenges.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.