China's autonomous driving tech forges inroads into global markets
From Luxembourg to Dubai, domestically developed robotaxis are expanding their reach
Commercial application of China's cutting-edge autonomous driving technology is spreading globally as Chinese enterprises speed up efforts to expand their presence in overseas markets and deploy robotaxi fleets.
Residents in some Middle East cities, for example, will be able to hail robotaxis developed by Chinese companies via ride-hailing apps on their mobile phones before year's end.
Utilizing the technology will help build safer, more efficient and convenient intelligent transport systems, industry experts said.
China is at the forefront of autonomous driving development, and Chinese companies have vast experience in a wide variety of road tests and operational scenarios — ranging from densely populated urban centers to suburban areas — which has laid the foundation for their overseas expansion, they said.
Traffic conditions and urban environments vary in different countries, and governments around the world are working to build road infrastructure and establish legislative and regulatory frameworks to enable the safe and stable operations of robotaxis.
"Chinese self-driving enterprises are adopting different strategies based on the different regional conditions of overseas destinations," said Duan Yuwan, deputy director of the School of International Trade and Economics at the Central University of Finance and Economics.
"Southeast Asia and the Middle East have become the frontiers for Chinese firms' overseas expansion due to their open policies and clear application scenarios, while European countries pay more attention to the deployment and implementation of the Level 4, or highly autonomous driving technologies," she said.
