Chinese self-driving start-up AutoX sets up ‘Asia’s largest robotaxi operations centre’ in Shanghai

The 80,000 square feet Shanghai RoboTaxi Operations Center houses tools for operating a large fleet of self-driving cars, AutoX says

The Chinese autonomous driving start-up got approval from Shanghai authorities in September to launch 100 self-driving ride-hailing cars in Jiading district

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AutoX’s new robotaxi operation centre in Shanghai. Photo: Handout

Published: 6:00pm, 10 Apr 2020Updated: 6:00pm, 10 Apr 2020

Chinese autonomous driving start-up AutoX has launched a “gigafactory” in Shanghai, which it says is the largest data hub for self-driving car data in China and the biggest robotaxi operations centre in Asia.

The 80,000 square feet Shanghai RoboTaxi Operations Center houses tools for operating a large fleet of self-driving cars, the company said in a statement on Friday.

It will also serve as a big data centre, collecting and storing data gleaned from daily operation of the fleet and from simulation cloud computers running non-stop for virtual tests, AutoX added.

High pressure water being sprayed at an AutoX vehicle to test its sensor unit. Photo: Handout

The autonomous driving sector has drawn billions of dollars of investment over the past few years and is becoming one of the key sectors in artificial intelligence, an industry where both China and the US are eyeing global supremacy.

The launch of the new operations centre comes after AutoX announced in September that Shanghai authorities had granted it approval to launch a fleet of 100 self-driving ride-hailing cars in the city’s Jiading district. Didi Chuxing, China’s largest ride-hailing platform, also received approval to operate self-driving cars in Jiading, with the launch of the two companies’ fleets in Shanghai expected to mark the first time robotaxis are deployed in Chinese cities on a large scale.

Chinese self-driving start-up AutoX sets up ‘Asia’s largest robotaxi operations centre’ in Shanghai

The 80,000 square feet Shanghai RoboTaxi Operations Center houses tools for operating a large fleet of self-driving cars, AutoX says The Chinese autonomous driving start-up got approval from Shanghai authorities in September to launch 100 self-driving ride-hailing cars in Jiading district

The 80,000 square feet Shanghai RoboTaxi Operations Center houses tools for operating a large fleet of self-driving cars, AutoX says

The Chinese autonomous driving start-up got approval from Shanghai authorities in September to launch 100 self-driving ride-hailing cars in Jiading district