Hyperdrive
To Find China’s Best Driverless Technology, Look in Silicon Valley
The talent needed to give Chinese startups an edge in autonomous vehicles can’t be found in Beijing or Shanghai.
A Pony.ai autonomous vehicle in front of the Chinese startup’s California office.
Source: Business WireThis article is for subscribers only.
China’s homegrown search giant, much like its U.S. counterpart, has a division focused entirely on driverless vehicles. And just like its rival, Google-born Waymo, both efforts are based in Silicon Valley.
It’s not only Baidu with a toehold in Northern California. China’s self-driving startups are sprouting major R&D outposts 6,000 miles from Beijing. China's congested megacities may have a need for self-driving cars, but the expertise is elsewhere.