WeRide, a Chinese Robotaxi Startup, Receives Green Light to Transport Passengers in California

Autonomous driving enterprise WeRide has secured approval to commence its driverless vehicle passenger tests in California.

This development unfolds as WeRide moves towards its initial public offering in the United States, eyeing a valuation close to $5 billion. This progression aligns with emerging discussions that the Commerce Department may introduce restrictions on Chinese-linked connected and autonomous vehicles, citing security risks.

As documented on August 2, WeRide has been granted two permits by the California Public Utilities Commission: one for a pilot program with a driver and another for fully driverless testing. These permits enable public road testing with passengers on board, with the first requiring a safety driver and the second allowing for complete autonomy. Currently, these permits do not permit the charging of fares, nor do they open the service to the wider public.

Inquiries for more information from WeRide remain unanswered, but a CPUC spokesperson advised TechCrunch that WeRide is authorized to conduct tests in San Jose and its surrounding localities, maintaining 12 operational vehicles at present.

Since 2021, WeRide has been actively testing its autonomous vehicles sans passengers on San Jose’s streets, following approval from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

WeRide’s advancement in California has unfolded at a measured pace. In 2023, the vehicles under WeRide logged 42,391 autonomous miles in the state, according to DMV statistics, a figure modest when compared to Waymo’s over 9 million miles.

Details on WeRide’s commercial strategy in California remain scarce. Notably, its CPUC permit delineates a restriction to vehicles accommodating less than 16 occupants, inclusive of the driver. This specification differentiates WeRide from competitors like Waymo, Cruise, or Zoox and may reflect the company’s varied vehicle portfolio, which features a robotaxi and a robobus that seats up to ten.

WeRide prides itself as the pioneering autonomous vehicle firm to undertake operations and testing in 30 cities worldwide, across seven nations. It maintains autonomous driving licenses in four countries: China, Singapore, the UAE, and the U.S. Beyond its robotaxi and robobus, WeRide’s projects encompass a delivery robovan, a robotic street sweeper, and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).