Chinese Autonomous Driving Startup WeRide Allowed to Test Driverless Cars in California. Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide has obtained a permit to test two passenger vehicles on designated public roads in California without human drivers behind the wheel, marking another breakthrough for the startup.
Will the dream of cars that walk alone without a driver come true soon
Chinese company WeRide , an autonomous car startup that recently raised $310 million, has been awarded a US permit to test autonomous vehicles on public roads in San Jose, California. WeRide is the seventh company to obtain driverless car driving test permits , after AutoX, Baidu, Cruise, Nuro Waymo and Zoox.
Imagine that this car is testing itself in the Traffic Department
In the early days of autonomous vehicle development, permits for automated driving test required human safety drivers behind the wheel. About 56 companies have an active license to test autonomous vehicles with a safe human driver. But recently, permits for permanent driverless testing have been made easier, and those permits allow the company to operate cars where the human operator is not behind the wheel, a new milestone and a needed step for companies wanting to launch a commercial taxi or delivery service in the state.
Wide field camera monitors everything around the car
Self-driving car testing agency
California DMV , the agency that regulates autonomous vehicle testing in the state, said the permit allows WeRide to test two driverless autonomous vehicles behind the wheel on designated streets within the city of San Jose. WeRide has been given permission to test autonomous vehicles with safe human drivers behind the wheel since 2017. WeRide is also limited in how and when these vehicles are tested. Self-driving vehicles are designed to operate on roads with advertised speeds not exceeding 45 miles per hour. Tests will take place during the day Monday through Friday, but will not tell cars in fog or in the presence of heavy rain, according to DMV data.
It is worth noting that to gain access to driverless test status in California, companies must meet a number of safety, registration, and insurance requirements. Also, any company that applies for a driverless permit must provide proof of insurance or a $5 million bond, verify that the vehicles are capable of being ” self-driving ” driverless , meet federal vehicle safety standards or obtain an exemption from the administration. National Highway Traffic Safety, and with regard to self-driving vehicles known as the SAE vehicle, which is of several levels, only the Rabigh and Fifth levels are allowed to operate and test, and the test vehicles must be monitored continuously and remote operators trained on this technology.
Driverless test pass holders must report any collisions involving a driverless test vehicle to the DMV within 10 days and submit an annual report on all cases.
Background on Chinese startup WeRide
The vast majority of WeRide ‘s operations are in China, but the latest statement indicates its continued interest in the United States. WeRide is headquartered in Guangzhou, China, and the company maintains research, development and operation centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, and Anqing, as well as in Silicon Valley. The startup, which was founded in 2017, received a permit in February to operate a car transport operation in Guangzhou.
The company is one of the most funded autonomous car technology startups in China and is backed by a number of companies and investors such as bus maker Yutong , Chinese facial recognition company Sense Time, Alliance Ventures, and the strategic venture capital arm of Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi. -Mitsubishi”. Other WeRide investors include CMC Capital Partners, Equipment Manufacturing Fund “CDB”, Hengjian Emerging Industries Fund, Zhuhai Huajin Capital, Flower City Ventures and Tryin Capital. Qiming Venture Partners, Sinovation Ventures, and Kinzon Capital. All are funds, companies and large investors from different parts of the world.
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