Introduction

In the race for intelligent connected vehicles, Changsha is once again surging ahead at an astonishing pace.

From driverless delivery vehicles weaving through the streets to the emergence of the Hunan Intelligent Connected Transportation Industrial Park, to enterprises 'going global' to sign major international contracts, Changsha's intelligent connected vehicle industry has once again become the focus of the nation and even the world.

Over a decade ago, Changsha was a pioneer in driverless technology nationally, but was later overshadowed by other cities. Now, Changsha is rising again!

Today, Let's Driverless Cars takes you to Changsha to see how the city's intelligent connected industry has grown from scratch, step by step, to its current strength, shaping a new blueprint for 'smart transportation'.

Image Source: Xiangjiang Intelligence WeChat Official Account

I. Xiangjiang New Area: The 'Dream Factory' of Intelligent Connected Industry

Xiangjiang New Area, the core region of Changsha's intelligent connected industry, is thriving at an astonishing rate.

On July 4, 2025, the Hunan Intelligent Connected Transportation Industrial Park project officially commenced, with a planned total construction area of 154,000 square meters and an expected completion date of October 2026. Standard factories, customized factories, R&D office buildings, and more will be constructed here to provide comprehensive infrastructure and industrial supporting services for upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry chain.

Changsha and Xiangjiang New Area's intelligent connected industry didn't happen overnight.

In 2016, Changsha was designated as the National Intelligent Connected Vehicle (Changsha) Testing Zone, covering an area of 1,232 mu (approx. 82 hectares) with 7.8 kilometers of test roads.

In 2018, Changsha became the first city in China to hold four national licenses, and the National Intelligent Connected Vehicle (Changsha) Testing Zone officially opened.

In 2019, the country's first batch of mass-produced L4 autonomous driving taxis - 'Robotaxi-Hongqi E·Jie' - were road-tested in Changsha, laying the foundation for the commercial operation of driverless vehicles. This driverless vehicle was jointly produced by Baidu and Hongqi.

In 2020, autonomous driving taxis operated by Hunan Apollo Intelligence, a joint venture of Xiangjiang Intelligence and Baidu, were officially opened for free trial rides to the public in Changsha, becoming the country's first mass-produced Robotaxi driverless fleet open to the public for trial rides.

It can be said that Changsha got an early start in driverless technology!

In subsequent years, the intelligent connected vehicle industries in surrounding cities like Wuhan, Chongqing, and Guangzhou surged, especially in the summer of 2024 when Wuhan's Luobo Kuaipao driverless vehicles became a nationwide and even global sensation!

During those years, Changsha's voice in driverless technology was somewhat subdued, but it didn't give up and has been quietly persevering.

Since 2024, Xiangjiang New Area has attracted 80 intelligent connected enterprises with a production value exceeding 3 billion yuan.

Here, there is not only a public service platform integrating R&D testing, testing and certification, achievement transformation, and commercial operation but also superior geographical location and convenient transportation conditions, providing efficient support for enterprise logistics transportation, personnel exchanges, and market expansion.

II. Driverless Delivery Vehicles: A New Sight on Changsha's Streets

On June 5, 121 driverless delivery vehicles were tested on open roads in Hunan Xiangjiang New Area.

These driverless delivery vehicles can not only intelligently recognize traffic signals but also flexibly avoid obstacles, becoming a beautiful sight on Changsha's streets.

As of now, the total mileage of test roads for intelligent connected vehicles in Changsha exceeds 1,000 kilometers. The opening of these scenarios has lowered the threshold for the implementation of new technologies, helping the industry accelerate.

The emergence of driverless delivery vehicles is not only a technological advancement but also a lifestyle change.

They shuttle through streets and alleys, providing convenient delivery services to residents, reducing labor costs, and improving delivery efficiency.

More importantly, the testing and operation of these driverless delivery vehicles have accumulated valuable experience for the further development of intelligent connected vehicle technology.

III. Industrial Ecosystem: From 'Going It Alone' to 'Collaborative Progress'

Changsha's intelligent connected vehicle industry doesn't develop in isolation but has formed a complete ecosystem.

Xiangjiang New Area has attracted numerous enterprises to settle in by constructing a 'one-stop' service for R&D, testing, and incubation.

For example, Zhao Jun, Deputy Dean of the Jilin University Changsha Automobile Innovation Research Institute, said:

'Intelligent connected vehicles will bring tremendous improvement and transformation to the entire automobile industry, and Changsha is a vibrant city that can contribute more talented individuals to the development of the intelligent connected vehicle industry.'

Zhang Guobi, General Manager of Hunan Zhongtian Cloud Technology Co., Ltd., also sang high praise for the thoughtful services provided by the industrial park.

The industrial park's superior geographical location and convenient transportation conditions provide efficient support for enterprise logistics transportation, personnel exchanges, and market expansion.

IV. International Vision: Changsha's Intelligent Connected Industry 'Going Global'

Changsha's intelligent connected industry is not only making a name for itself domestically but is also actively stepping onto the international stage.

Since 2024, the Intelligent Connected Vehicle Industry Chain Office has transformed into a 'navigator', actively leading ecological enterprises to 'go global' for inspections and exchanges, making the new area's investment promotion footprint spread across the globe.

Earlier this year, Yao Guang, Deputy Director of the Intelligent Connected Vehicle Industry Chain Office, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Director, and General Manager of Xiangjiang Intelligence Company, led a team including Cidi Intelligent Driving and other enterprises to the Middle East for inspections.

At the Saudi LEAP Exhibition, Cidi Intelligent Driving signed a memorandum of cooperation with King Abdullah City for Science and Technology to jointly build a national innovation laboratory and smart city, bringing 'Chinese solutions' to the world.

In August this year, Xie Guofu, Director of the Intelligent Connected Vehicle Industry Chain Office, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Xiangjiang Development Group, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Xiangjiang Intelligence, led a team including Cidi Intelligent Driving and other enterprises to conduct on-site inspections in Sangri County, Gongga County, Cuomei County, Longzi County, and Qusong County in Shannan, Tibet.

Both parties conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on multiple projects such as mines and cement plants.

It is understood that in 2024, the Director and Deputy Director of the Chain Office led teams to conduct more than 40 outbound investment promotion inspections in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhu, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Tibet, Jinan, and other places;

Throughout the year, 12 government-enterprise exchange meetings were held, with more than 20 enterprises on the chain signing up to participate, collecting and resolving over 20 enterprise issues.

Only by going out can we bring in;

Only by going out can our horizons broaden.

Changsha's driverless technology is catching up with the world trend, standing at the pinnacle of the trend, and bravely navigating the midstream to fight the current, restraining the flying boat!

V. Future Prospects: From 'Vehicle-Road-Cloud Integration' to 'Smart City'

Changsha's intelligent connected industry is not only focused on the present but also on the future.

On July 3, 2025, the (Fifth) Low-Speed Driverless Scene Ecological Co-construction and Expansion Conference opened in Hangzhou.

Liu Kai, Technical Director of Xiangjiang Intelligence, attended the roundtable forum as a guest and shared insights on the two core topics of 'Analyzing the Industry's Technology-Cost-Regulation Triangle Contradiction' and 'Solving the Dilemma of Inward Competition and Outward Expansion, Exploring Commercial Closed Loops in Domestic and Foreign Markets'.

Liu Kai said that Xiangjiang Intelligence will collaborate with express delivery, fresh food, supermarkets, and other industry enterprises to create typical application scenarios for unmanned delivery;

It will promote the expansion of functional unmanned vehicles from Xiangjiang New Area to the entire territory of Changsha, achieving large-scale application.

Meanwhile, Xiangjiang New Area is focusing on the three major areas of 'urban transportation', 'smart parks', and 'data empowerment', soliciting innovative, demonstrative, and promotional application scenarios nationwide to jointly create a demonstration benchmark for 'vehicle-road-cloud integration'.

Let's Driverless Cars also believes that standing in Xiangjiang New Area today, one can witness the most cyberpunk scenes:

Unmanned delivery vehicles shuttle between the crayfish stalls at Wenheyou, the screensaver on the test engineers' computers is the 'Made in Hunan' emoji, and the video conference for the Saudi project occasionally transmits the plastic Mandarin phrase 'yao de' (OK)...

This group of 'stingy' Hunan kids has proven that:

True industrial innovation doesn't lie in burning how much money but in whether one can open the Saudi market with stinky tofu, inspire programmers' potential with spicy stir-fried pork, and write technical solutions with Changsha dialect rap - after all, even driverless vehicles have learned to 'chat on the road' in Jiefangxi, what other miracles cannot happen?

Dear readers, what do you think?