China Sets the Rules of the Road

Even as autonomous-vehicle technology gets better, the thought of being in a driverless car is as scary as a few years ago. The news around faulty experiments makes that worse. Big, bold plans of intelligent auto self-navigation aren’t where they were forecast to be. Except in China.

Much like it took a lead on electric vehicles, China may do so with connected and intelligent automobiles — because it’s part of Beijing’s blueprint. The country’s progress on autonomous vehicles is underpinned by the government’s renewed push to bring in regulation. In a bid to commercialize driverless mobility, the transportation ministry in August released draft rules for self-driving autos while the industrial technology hub of Shenzhen became the first city to allow them on its roads. In Beijing, Pony.ai Inc. and Baidu Inc. have received permits to operate robotaxis. Now, eight major cities are trialing the driverless ride-hailing services, where passengers can travel for free or a nominal fee.