WeRide Secures Approval for Robotaxis in California

Chinese autonomous vehicle firm WeRide is cleared to test its driverless cars with passengers in California

The action is taken as WeRide commences listing on the U.S. stock market at a nearly $5 billion valuation.

The timing also aligns with media reports that the Commerce Department is contemplating a moratorium on Chinese-connected vehicles, including autonomous vehicles, in response to national security concerns.

WeRide has been granted two pilot permits from the California Public Utilities Commission as of August 2: an autonomous pilot permit and a driver pilot permit.

Both enable WeRide to conduct vehicle testing on public roads while transporting passengers. The former is equipped with a human safety driver, while the latter is not.

This service is not yet accessible to the general public, and WeRide cannot charge passengers for journeys due to the current permits.

WeRide did not respond to inquiries regarding the commencement of passenger transportation in its autonomous vehicles.

According to a spokesperson from the CPUC, WeRide is authorized to conduct testing in San Jose and the surrounding region. Additionally, the company maintains a list of 12 active vehicles on its equipment list.

WeRide has been conducting autonomous vehicle testing on public roads in San Jose without passengers since 2021, following the California Department of Motor Vehicles issuance of permits.

The company’s expansion in California has been glacial. According to DMV data, WeRide’s vehicles operated autonomously in the state for a mere 42,391 miles in 2023. In contrast, Waymo accumulated more than nine million autonomous miles.

WeRide has disclosed minimal information regarding its intentions to establish a commercial presence in California.

WeRide’s CPUC permit specifies that it is “entirely restricted to the operation of vehicles that can accommodate no more than 16 passengers, including the driver.”

This stipulation, which is not included in the permits of Waymo, Cruise, or Zoox, may pertain to the various vehicle types that WeRide offers. WeRide has constructed a robobus that can accommodate up to 10 passengers and a robotaxi.

WeRide asserts that it is the first autonomous transportation company in the world to be operational and conducting testing in 30 cities across seven countries.

The startup is authorized to operate autonomously on public roadways in four countries: the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and China.

In addition to its robotaxi and robobus, WeRide is developing a Donovan for product delivery, a robotic street sweeper, and ADAS for OEMs.