In China, the rise of driverless taxis is generating both fear and fervor

“Like in a science fiction movie!”: driverless taxis are spreading in cities in China, where they make heads stand up in astonishment, but arouse as much enthusiasm as suspicion.

Chinese tech giants and car manufacturers have invested billions of euros in autonomous driving in recent years, in the hope of catching up with the American leaders.

The large city of Wuhan (14 million inhabitants), in central China, has become the largest global laboratory in the sector: 500 driverless taxis (“robotaxis”) circulate there. A world record.

They can be requested with a simple mobile application, like a normal race.

“It's a bit magical, like in a science fiction film!” Mr. Yang, a resident, told AFP.

However, not everyone shares his enthusiasm.

Safety concerns about the technology were rekindled in April when an Aito vehicle (from electronics maker Huawei) was involved in a fatal accident in China. According to the company, the automatic braking system had failed to activate.

A robotaxi (l), an autonomous vehicle without a driver, from the “Apollo Go” project of the Chinese technology giant Baidu, on a street in Wuhan, on August 1, 2024 in the Chinese province of Hubei © AFP – Pedro PARDO

A minor collision between a pedestrian and a robotaxi in Wuhan last month has rekindled concerns.

For their part, drivers of traditional taxis and VTC (vehicle with driver) fear being gradually ousted by this technology.

The robotaxis of Wuhan are part of the “Apollo Go” project of the Chinese technology giant Baidu, which received an initial license to operate in the city in 2022.

– “They “fly” –

Its fleet is now deployed over 3,000 square kilometers – more than a third of the city's surface area.

A robotaxi (l), an autonomous driverless vehicle, from the “Apollo Go” project of the Chinese technology giant Baidu, on a street in Wuhan, on August 1, 2024 in the Chinese province of Hubei © AFP – Pedro PARDO

In comparison, the American leader Waymo claims that the largest area it covers is 816 square kilometers, in Arizona.

When a car arrives at the boarding point, passengers must scan a QR code with their phone to unlock the vehicle.

The fares are deliberately low: a 30-minute trip taken by AFP cost just 39 yuan (4.95 euros), compared to 64 yuan if it had been taken with a normal taxi.

“They are stealing our livelihood,” fumes Deng Haibing, a taxi driver from Wuhan.

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His fear: that robotaxis companies will crush the competition with their low fares, before increasing their prices again once they are in a favorable situation. A tactic already used by Chinese VTC companies in the 2010s.

A taxi driver on a street in Wuhan, August 1, 2024 in the Chinese province of Hubei © AFP – Pedro PARDO

Robotaxis, however, currently only make up a tiny proportion of the tens of thousands of taxis and VTCs in Wuhan.

But a growing number of Chinese cities have launched policies favorable to autonomous driving, a trend encouraged by the government in order to compete with the United States.

Baidu and its Chinese rival Pony.ai have been testing several models of different levels of autonomy for many years, often in industrial areas, less frequented than city centers.

– Touch screen –

Shanghai issued its first provisional authorizations for the circulation of driverless cars in July. Beijing has approved the use of fully autonomous robotaxis in some peripheral areas.

A user scans a QR code to enter a self-driving robotaxi in Wuhan, China's Hubei province, on August 1, 2024 © AFP – Pedro PARDO

Pilot projects are also underway in Chongqing (southwest) and Shenzhen (south), China's tech capital.

But there is still a long way to go before these vehicles become ubiquitous, according to Tom Nunlist, an analyst at Beijing-based Trivium China.

“Everyone seems to think today that autonomous driving is something inevitable,” he told AFP.

But “for the moment, this technology (…) is simply not ready for large-scale deployment”, he underlines.

Because even if the Apollo Go taxis in Wuhan can spot obstacles and are very careful at intersections, the journeys are still monitored remotely by agents in the flesh.

During a journey, one of them contacted AFP journalists via the touch screen in the passenger compartment, to remind them to fasten their seat belts.

A passenger in an autonomous robotaxi in Wuhan, August 1, 2024 in the Chinese province of Hubei © AFP – Pedro PARDO

Robotaxis, however, will never be able to replace humans in certain aspects.

“Some customers have disabilities and these driverless cars cannot help. Not counting passengers with bulky objects,” says Mr. Zhao, a VTC driver.

“Only a human will be able to lend a hand.”

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