Shanghai unveils plan to build leading zone for high-level autonomous driving

Shanghai's latest action plan to build a leading zone for high-level autonomous driving was released on Saturday, during the ongoing World Artificial Intelligence Conference in the city.

The plan aims to see Level 4 autonomous vehicles make over 6 million passenger trips by 2027, open more than 5,000 kilometers of roads for autonomous driving, and ensure that over 90 percent of the city's new vehicles are equipped with Level 2 and Level 3 autonomous driving functions.

Autonomous driving is categorized from Level 0 to Level 5. The higher the level, the more advanced and intelligent the technology. Vehicles with Level 4 autonomy can drive themselves in most conditions without a human backup driver.

Shanghai will accelerate its construction of a globally leading zone for high-level autonomous driving through multi-dimensional collaboration involving data platforms, training bases, key technologies and policy frameworks, according to Han Dadong, director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization's automotive industry division.

The plan also proposes the expansion of open areas for autonomous driving, the realization of full coverage for autonomous driving in the Pudong New Area, and the progressive opening-up of other districts such as Fengxian and Minhang.

Shanghai will establish third-party platforms, including a key laboratory for intelligent connected vehicle traffic safety, to improve its validation process for autonomous driving systems and operational services, according to the plan.

To facilitate the construction of its leading zone for high-level autonomous driving, Shanghai plans to deploy 500 data-collection ride-hailing vehicles and establish an evaluation system for large-scale autonomous driving models, achieving mass production applications for end-to-end intelligent driving models.