Beginning Thursday, the people of Shenzhen will observe fully autonomous vehicles operating on city streets. AutoX, a company established four years ago and supported by Alibaba, MediaTek, and Shanghai Motors, is initiating operations with a group of 25 driverless vehicles in the central area of Shenzhen. This represents the initial instance of an autonomous vehicle in China undergoing testing on public roadways without the presence of safety personnel or remote control.

According to an AutoX spokesperson who spoke with TechCrunch, these vehicles, designed to function as robotaxis, are not currently available for use by the general public.

This achievement follows closely on the heels of AutoX receiving authorization from California to commence driverless testing just five months prior, aligning the company with industry leaders such as Waymo and Nuro.

This development also demonstrates China’s ambition to advance its intelligent driving sector to a level comparable with that of the United States. Cities spanning from Shenzhen to Shanghai are actively vying to attract emerging autonomous driving companies by streamlining regulations, offering financial incentives, and deploying 5G infrastructure.

Consequently, each city has become associated with specific companies in this field: AutoX and Deeproute.ai in Shenzhen, Pony.ai and WeRide in Guangzhou, Momenta in Suzhou, and Baidu’s Apollo fleet in Beijing, among others. These autonomous driving firms are collaborating closely with established automotive manufacturers to enhance vehicle intelligence and prepare for the future of transportation.

The AutoX representative stated, “We have received assistance from the local government. Shenzhen is making significant and swift advancements in the creation of laws governing self-driving cars.”

The decision to eliminate both drivers from the vehicle and operators from a remote control center is a significant step within one of China’s most densely populated urban areas. AutoX’s vehicles are equipped with its exclusive vehicle control unit, known as XCU, which the company asserts possesses superior processing speed and greater computational power to navigate the intricate traffic conditions found in Chinese cities.

AutoX explained, “[The XCU] incorporates multiple levels of backup systems to manage such scenarios,” when questioned about how its vehicles would react in the event of a malfunction.

The company also highlighted the knowledge gained from “millions of miles” of driving within China’s busiest urban centers, accumulated through its fleet of 100 robotaxis over the past several years. Its competitors are similarly focused on accumulating driving data to refine their self-driving algorithms, while also securing substantial investments to support research and development, as well as pilot programs. AutoX, for example, has secured over $160 million in funding to date.