Introduction

The year 2025 marks a watershed moment for the large-scale commercial deployment of autonomous delivery vehicles in China.

Fueled by technological advancements and policy guidance, Shenzhen—renowned for its relentless spirit of innovation and pragmatic approach—has not only achieved breakthroughs in "thousand-unit-level" autonomous vehicle operations but also systematically constructed a holistic ecosystem encompassing technology R&D, standardization, governance innovation, and commercial operations. This pioneering "Shenzhen Model" offers a replicable and scalable blueprint for the development of intelligent connected vehicles and smart logistics across China.

(For further reading, please click: 'Trust 2026': Shenzhen’s Intelligent Connected Vehicle New Year Event Held on January 16th, Co-organized by Meituan Autonomous Vehicles, Neolix Autonomous Vehicles, JD.com, and China Automotive Technology (Shenzhen))

01 Strategic Leadership: Launching the ‘4123’ Development Blueprint, Pioneering City-Level Top-Down Design

On March 26th, at the Shenzhen Intelligent Connected Urban Delivery Industry Conference, the city officially unveiled its "4123" development strategy for functional autonomous vehicles. Centered around four goals—scalability, standardization, commercialization, and networking—the framework establishes a systematic ecosystem comprising "one municipal operator, dual support systems, and three collaborative platforms."

(For further reading, please click: Shenzhen’s Autonomous Vehicles to Reach 2,000 Units Next Year, Leading the Nation in Establishing the ‘4123’ Development System for Autonomous Logistics, Always Prioritizing Safety in Development)

This milestone signals Shenzhen’s transition from isolated pilot projects to a systematic, ecological development phase for its autonomous vehicle industry.

Viewpoint: The value of top-down design lies in systemic breakthroughs. Shenzhen’s "4123" strategy provides the first holistic methodology for megacities to overcome management coordination and commercialization bottlenecks in intelligent connected transportation.

02 Thousand-Unit Leap: Leading the Nation in Operational Scale, Monthly Orders Approaching 1.8 Million

By December 2025, Shenzhen’s fleet of functional autonomous vehicles exceeded 1,100 units, covering nearly 2,000 routes. Monthly orders surged from 900,000 in August to 1.87 million in December, generating approximately 75 million yuan in direct commercial value for the year.

This growth reflects not just scale but the preliminary formation of a sustainable commercial ecosystem featuring networked services and operational resilience.

Viewpoint: "Thousand-unit-level" operations signify commercial maturity. Shenzhen’s achievement demonstrates that autonomous delivery holds real, sustainable commercial value and operational adaptability in high-density urban environments.

03 Governance Innovation: Nation’s First Integrated Management Platform, 75% Increase in Approval Efficiency

On June 30th, Shenzhen launched the nation’s first integrated management and service platform for functional autonomous vehicles. The platform slashed cross-departmental approval processes from 30 days to under 10 days, enabled "one-stop" road access permits and dynamic road rights allocation, and supported real-time supervision of tens of thousands of vehicles.

This platform represents not merely a technological upgrade but a systemic reshaping of government regulatory processes.

Viewpoint: Smart regulation is the foundation for scalable development. Through platform-based governance, Shenzhen balances "liberalization" and "control," clearing institutional barriers for industry growth.

04 Standard Leadership: Releasing the V2.0 Standard System, Undertaking National Standardization Pilot

On September 26th, Shenzhen officially released the "Shenzhen Functional Autonomous Vehicle Standard System V2.0," comprehensively upgrading safety, traffic, and station protocols. The city also undertook the nation’s sole pilot for standardized automatic delivery freight, positioning "Shenzhen Standards" as industry norms.

This standardization effort is rapidly becoming a de facto industry benchmark, driving the sector from "wild growth" to "orderly development."

Viewpoint: Standards are the cornerstone of industrial ecosystems. Through standard output, Shenzhen transitions from application leadership to rule-making, solidifying its influence in the intelligent connected vehicle industry.

05 Ecosystem Boom: Hosting the Global Autonomous Vehicle Economy Expo, 1 Billion Yuan in Intentional Cooperation

From September 25th to 27th, Shenzhen hosted the world’s first industrial expo focused on the autonomous vehicle economy. Intentional cooperation deals exceeded 1 billion yuan over three days, with logistics vehicle procurement orders accounting for over 60%.

The expo attracted global industrial chain enterprises and investment institutions, cementing Shenzhen’s role as a hub for global resource alignment and commercial collaboration.

Viewpoint: From technology showcases to economic events, the expo reflects industrial maturity. Substantial cooperation deals highlight market confidence in the "Shenzhen Solution" and its comprehensive ecosystem.

06 Safety Foundation: Greater Bay Area Autonomous Vehicle Competition, Promoting Use and Safety Through Competition

From December 30th to 31st, the nation’s first professional competition for functional autonomous vehicles was held in Pingshan, focusing on full-process operational closed loops and high-fidelity complex scenario challenges.

The event tested vehicle safety performance under extreme conditions and deepened industry consensus on shifting from "functional demonstration" to "operational reliability."

Viewpoint: Safety is the bedrock of sustainable development. Professional competitions establish transparent safety benchmarks, driving industry maturity and self-regulation.

07 Scenario Depth: Building an ‘Air-Ground Integrated, Multi-Modal Collaborative’ Smart Logistics Network

In 2025, Shenzhen achieved breakthroughs in autonomous vehicle application scenarios:

• The "bus terminal + autonomous vehicle" shuttle model leveraged existing infrastructure;
• SF Express’s "drone-autonomous vehicle-subway" network enabled air-ground integrated transport;
• Autonomous vehicles penetrated campuses, industrial parks, and commercial districts;
• The fleet of autonomous sanitation vehicles exceeded 400 units.

Autonomous vehicles are evolving from delivery tools into urban smart mobility nodes.

Viewpoint: The depth of scenario integration determines technological value. Through multi-modal collaboration, Shenzhen promotes organic integration of autonomous systems with urban infrastructure.

08 Operational Upgrade: Three Bus Groups Transform, Building New Urban Service Infrastructure

Shenzhen Bus Group, Eastern Bus, and Western Bus transitioned into comprehensive operators for autonomous delivery services. They opened nearly 200 terminal resources, handled route planning, safety monitoring, and resource coordination, created hundreds of jobs, and provided ground support for large-scale autonomous operations.

(For further reading, please click: Neolix Autonomous Vehicles: Signing Agreements with Two Major Shenzhen Bus Enterprises, Collaborating with SF Express and YTO Express to Create a New Model for Autonomous Delivery)

Viewpoint: The strategic pivot of traditional bus enterprises reflects deep integration of public resources with innovative models. Their infrastructure networks offer reliable support for autonomous deployment.

09 Data Transparency: Pioneering Monthly Development Report Mechanism, Setting Industry Transparency Benchmarks

Since August 2025, Shenzhen has published monthly "Functional Autonomous Vehicle Operational and Development Reports," disclosing data on operational scale, order volume, safety metrics, and economic value.

This initiative fosters a governance model driven by data-based decision-making and public oversight.

(For further reading, please click: Shenzhen’s Autonomous Vehicles Surpass 1,000 Units Reaching 1,122: 86% Online Rate + 16.58 Million Yuan in Revenue, Shenzhen’s Functional Autonomous Vehicle Operations Transform from ‘Pilots’ to ‘Cash Cows’ in December 2025)

Viewpoint: Transparency builds trust. Monthly reports serve as both internal management tools and external communication benchmarks, enhancing industry credibility.

10 Optimal Environment: Continuous Innovation in Policies and Road Rights, Creating an Open and Win-Win Industrial Ecosystem

In August, the Municipal Transportation Bureau issued the "Shenzhen Functional Autonomous Vehicle Road Traffic Operational Impact Assessment Guidelines (Trial)," establishing a quantifiable, dynamically adjustable assessment system for vehicle access. It also introduced a "declaration-assessment-joint review" mechanism, adding over 6,000 km of routes and fostering the nation’s most open autonomous driving environment.

Viewpoint: A favorable institutional environment fuels innovation. Through inclusive regulation and proactive service, Shenzhen stimulates market vitality and corporate creativity.

Conclusion

In 2025, Shenzhen achieved a paradigm shift from "local leadership" to "systemic leadership" in functional autonomous vehicles. The top 10 events outline a holistic development pathway spanning strategic planning, commercial ecosystems, technological breakthroughs, and governance innovation.

Shenzhen not only validated the feasibility of large-scale autonomous delivery in megacities but also pioneered a modern framework for collaborative progress in "technology-industry-governance."

This "annual report" offers a forward-looking, operational Chinese model for global cities upgrading logistics and smart governance.

Commentary by Autonomous Vehicles Are Here (WeChat Public Account: Autonomous Vehicles Are Here):

Policy, Orders, and Data in Parallel: Shenzhen Leads the Way in Creating a ‘Replicable Autonomous Delivery Closed Loop’

In 2025, Shenzhen transformed "functional autonomous vehicles" from street experiments into "urban-level infrastructure" through ten pivotal events:

• Strategically unveiling the "4123" top-down design;
• Scaling to over 1,100 units and 1.87 million monthly orders;
• Reducing approval times to 10 days and opening 6,000 km of roads;
• Ecologically transforming bus terminals into operational service providers and publishing monthly "operational report cards."

The hardcore data—1.87 million orders/month, 75 million yuan in annual commercial value, and zero primary liability accidents—proves profitability even in China’s most densely populated first-tier city.

Even more formidable is standard output: the V2.0 system, national pilot, and monthly reports package the "Shenzhen Experience" into a national template.

While others seek road rights, Shenzhen streamlined them via a "declaration-assessment-joint review" mechanism. While others search for scenarios, Shenzhen connected bus terminals, campuses, industrial parks, sanitation, and subway entrances into an "air-ground integrated" network.

In Summary: Autonomous Vehicles Are Here believes that policy, orders, and data coordination validate Shenzhen’s autonomous delivery profitability and offer a modern pathway for "technology-industry-governance" collaboration—quantifiable road rights openness, public accident data, and recoupable commercial models.

Nationwide, cities aiming to replicate this success can adopt the model directly—no attribution required.

What do you think, dear reader?

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