Introduction

Hey, tech enthusiasts!

Today, let's dive into the Greater Bay Area (GBA) of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao and explore how it's orchestrating a thrilling saga of autonomous driving.

Autonomous driving, akin to a magical key, is unlocking the doors to the future of transportation, and the GBA stands at the forefront of this transformative journey.

Join us as we delve into this with Unmanned Cars Are Coming (public account: Unmanned Cars Are Coming)!

(For reference, please click: "Pony.ai, Ruqi Chuxing, CoolWa Tech, Baidu Apollo Go: Recognized in Four Regions of the GBA, Ushering in a New Era of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles")

I. Policy Tailwind: Breaking Down Regional Barriers

Recently, Nansha, Zhuhai, Qianhai, and Bao'an in Shenzhen signed the "Framework Agreement on Mutual Recognition and Cooperation for Pilot Demonstration Applications of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles." This is a monumental step!

It's akin to issuing an "All-Access Pass" for autonomous vehicles across the GBA.

With pilot qualifications obtained in one region, companies can conduct demonstration applications in other mutually recognized areas after reporting, and vehicles can roam freely on open roads in these regions, effectively dismantling regional barriers.

This not only accelerates the deep integration of the autonomous driving industry within the GBA but also paves the way for future expansion into Hong Kong and Macao, potentially establishing the largest urban agglomeration-level benchmark for autonomous driving application practices in China.

II. IPO Boom: The GBA as a "Unicorn" Cradle

In 2024, the GBA is ablaze with autonomous driving excitement! Five autonomous driving companies will go public consecutively.

On December 27, Shenzhen Youjia Innovation successfully listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

From RoboSense's "Hong Kong's First LiDAR IPO" at the beginning of the year, to Ruqi Chuxing's "China's First Autonomous Driving Operation Technology IPO" in July, followed by WeRide and Pony.ai successively listing on Nasdaq in the US in October and November, respectively.

Autonomous driving companies in the GBA are shining brightly in the capital market.

Statistics reveal that out of nine domestic autonomous driving IPOs in 2024, five hail from the GBA, with two in Shenzhen and three in Guangzhou, underscoring the region's prowess.

III. GBA Cities Compete: Each Unveiling Its Unique Charm

Guangzhou: Evolving from an Auto Industry Pioneer to a "Smart Car" Hub.

Once known as the "First City of Automobiles," Guangzhou has resolutely transformed under the wave of new energy and intelligence, aiming to become the "City of Smart Cars."

As early as late 2017, Guangzhou permitted driverless cars to test on public roads within designated areas and issued relevant guidelines in 2018, continuously expanding test routes since then.

As of October 2024, a total of 933 roads have been opened, spanning about 1,980 kilometers one-way and covering six administrative regions, with Huadu District achieving nearly full-area opening of general roads.

Furthermore, Guangzhou is the first city in China to issue passenger test licenses and the only one to provide official license plates for L4 intelligent and connected vehicles to conduct commercial demonstration operations.

Attracted by these policies, numerous autonomous driving companies have flocked to Guangzhou.

Pony.ai has deployed over 1,000 stations in Nansha, averaging about 1,500 daily orders, while WeRide has secured the country's first permit for purely unmanned remote testing of L4 autonomous driving cargo vehicles in urban open road scenarios.

Additionally, companies like Ruqi Chuxing and Didi Wowia collaborate with automakers such as GAC Group and XPeng Motors on various high-level testing activities.

Guangzhou is also at the forefront of autonomous driving legislation. In 2023, it issued a draft consultation paper on relevant regulations, and in November 2024, the "Regulations on the Innovation and Development of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles in Guangzhou" passed a vote, providing legal safeguards for the widespread application of autonomous driving.

Shenzhen: Leading in Legislation, Forging a High Ground for the Unmanned Economy.

Shenzhen, the first city in China to legislate in support of driverless vehicles on the road, has demonstrated robust policy support for autonomous driving.

Since 2022, a series of policy documents have included the intelligent and connected vehicle industry cluster in the key development category. The "Regulations on Intelligent and Connected Vehicles in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone," implemented in August 2022, comprehensively addresses issues such as testing and access for intelligent and connected vehicles.

Currently, Shenzhen has achieved normalized and diversified scenario operation pilots for functional unmanned vehicles.

In terms of commercialization, as a pilot city, Shenzhen has opened up commercialization pilots for "driverless" intelligent and connected passenger vehicles in select areas, continuously optimizing test and demonstration road sections.

Pingshan District has issued unmanned commercialization pilot licenses to AutoX, Baidu Apollo Go, among others, and fully unmanned Robotaxi paid operations have officially commenced.

Nanshan Mawan Port has constructed the world's first port with large-scale autonomous driving applications.

Qianhai has collaborated with Shenzhen Bus Group to deploy 20 autonomous buses and open four demonstration routes.

Shenzhen has also propelled the construction of demonstration scenarios for unmanned sanitation operations, deploying over 100 artificial intelligence cleaning devices citywide.

As of December 2024, the total mileage of open roads for intelligent and connected vehicle testing in Shenzhen reached 1,560 kilometers, with the number of licenses increasing by 62% year-on-year.

Hong Kong: Regulations Ensuring Protection, Advancing Commercialization in Specific Scenarios. Hong Kong has emphasized the development of autonomous vehicles in relevant plans since 2017. In 2023, the Legislative Council passed relevant bills and regulations, and the regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles was implemented in March 2024, with several large-scale projects actively being promoted. UISEE Technology has partnered with Hong Kong International Airport to operationalize unmanned logistics vehicles and buses, with over 60 unmanned vehicles already in operation at the airport. The Airport Authority plans to expand the fleet to 100 vehicles by 2028 and extend services beyond the airport boundaries.

Baidu and Kwoon Chung Bus Company Limited have also successfully obtained pilot licenses for autonomous vehicles. On December 27, 2024, the Hong Kong Airport Authority announced the construction of the "Aerospace Corridor," where passengers will soon be able to travel conveniently between related areas via unmanned vehicles.

Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone: From Exploration to Commercial Operation. Hengqin commenced the application and implementation of intelligent and connected autonomous vehicles in September 2022, gradually opening up test road sections. In July 2024, it opened up a 330-kilometer road network across the entire region for testing and demonstration applications. In August, it launched remote highly autonomous driving road tests, entering a new era of "steering wheel-free" vehicles. On September 10, four companies were awarded the first batch of commercialization pilot notices, marking a new phase of commercial operation in Hengqin. Currently, Hengqin has opened four demonstration application bus routes, established an autonomous sanitation demonstration area, increased the number of autonomous sweeping vehicles and sprinklers to two or three dozen, boosted the count of intelligent and connected minibuses to 12, and operated eight Robotaxis with plans for further expansion. In summary, Unmanned Cars Are Coming (public account: Unmanned Cars Are Coming) believes that the cities in the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao are akin to a group of dream-chasing explorers, continuously exploring and advancing in the realm of autonomous driving. Leveraging their respective strengths and efforts, they are collectively painting a grand blueprint for autonomous driving! We believe that in the near future, the GBA will emerge as a shining star in global autonomous driving—stay tuned!