Tesla Inc is not the only firm eyeing a robotaxi service. With vehicles becoming smarter by the day thanks to the evolution in autonomous technology, several ride-hailing firms are planning to automate their vehicles. China¡¯s ride-hailing major Didi Chuxing is the latest one to do so.
Backed by SoftBank Group, Didi Chuxing launched a test robotaxi service in a limited area in Shanghai. To enable this, the company installed V2X (Vehicle to Everything) hardware in its vehicles throughout the area.
The test run will allow commuters to book Didi¡¯s autonomous vehicles within a designated area. As per the protocol around self-driving cars, each vehicle will have a safety driver on the driving seat for now, even though the vehicle¡¯s are fully capable of driving by themselves.
For the robotaxi service, Didi Chuxing equipped its autonomous cars with V2X equipment. The Vehicle to Everything hardware enables autonomous vehicles to communicate with their surroundings.
In addition to its vehicles, Didi has installed V2X equipment at major junctions within the test area. This is done to coordinate communication among the autonomous fleet and minimize any safety blind spots in the operational area.
Going forward, the company is planning a broader rollout of V2X to further improve the autonomous vehicles. It would, however, require coordination with the government, Meng Xing - COO of Didi's autonomous driving unit, was quoted as saying in a Reuters report.
Didi Chuxing can even allow other players to link up their autonomous vehicles with the hardware system in place. The primary function, however, will stick to Didi¡¯s own vehicles in the area.
Within China, there are other firms that have conducted similar tests of autonomous vehicles for a ride hailing service. While Didi Chuxing is using vehicles with the Volvo, Lincoln and BYD marques in the current test, other OEMs are also backing AV firms for similar services.
Three-year-old WeRide, for instance, is backed by Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi, and is currently testing its autonomous cars in Guangzhou. The firm has installed similar V2X equipment in the test area as Didi.
Baidu Inc started with its own robotaxi service in China's southern city of Changsha earlier this year. Looking at the trend, it is easy to see how your future taxi might just roll to you on its own. Make sure you don¡¯t freak out!