Chinese autonomous driving firm WeRide is expanding its operations in Guangzhou through a new partnership with the AutoNavi app, also known as Gaode in China. The company is hoping to make its autonomous driving robotaxis available to more ride-hailing customers through the use of Gaode's platform.
According to a statement released by WeRide on Tuesday, its services should now be available to all users on Gaode's platform. Users can also avail of the company's robotaxis through its own WeRide Go app. During its first month of operation, the company will be offering free rides and bookings to Gaode users as part of its promotion.
WeRide chief operating officer, Li Zhang, mentioned in a statement that the company hopes to attract more customers through the collaboration. He added that they simply want more people to experience the convenience of using their service and support China's continued drive to promote advanced mobility systems.
The Chinese government has been pushing for the adoption of advanced greener mobility solutions to address growing environmental and economic issues. The partnership marks the latest step forward in the country's initiative to develop autonomous driving technologies in China. With more people having access to the service, WeRide hopes to accelerate the adoption of the technology.
As of the moment, WeRide is operating a fleet of 60 fully-autonomous taxis that are based on Lincoln cars. The vehicles are deployed within a 144 square kilometer geo-fenced area, which means that they are still limited to where they are allowed to travel. The area covers major districts in the Guangdong capital, including the Huangpu and Guangzhou Development districts.
The company will dedicate 20 robotaxis to Gaode users, while the rest of the fleet will be made available for users on its own WeRide Go app. The company initially launched the service back in November last year, making it one of the first companies in China to offer a fully autonomous ride-hailing service. WeRide, which started out as a maps and navigations service provider, was acquired by Alibaba Group for $1.5 billion in 2014.
Apart from its partnership with WeRide, Gaode had formed various partnerships with the country's leading L4 autonomous driving technology providers. In April, the company formed a partnership with WeRide's rival, AutoX, which is currently offering robotaxi rides in Shanghai.
The number of robotaxi services on AutoNavi's Gaode app is continually growing as the company forms more partnerships with promising startups. As of today, the platform has more than 40 different companies offering their services to its more than 478 million monthly active users.
