WeRide, a Chinese autonomous driving company, has recently received approval to test its driverless vehicles with passengers in California. This significant milestone was made possible by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which granted WeRide two essential permits: a pilot permit with drivers onboard and a driverless pilot permit.
These permits allow WeRide to conduct tests on public roads in California while carrying passengers. The pilot permit requires a human safety driver onboard, while the driverless pilot permit does not. However, it’s important to note that WeRide is not yet permitted to charge passengers for this service, and the testing is not open to the public.
WeRide has not disclosed whether they have started transporting passengers using their autonomous vehicles in California. A spokesperson from CPUC confirmed that WeRide is authorized to conduct testing in San Jose and its surrounding areas, with 12 vehicles currently in operation.
Since receiving a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in 2021, WeRide has been conducting autonomous driving tests without passengers on the roads of San Jose. In 2023 alone, WeRide’s autonomous vehicles traveled a total of 42,391 miles in California.
On July 26, WeRide officially submitted its IPO application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with plans to list on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol “WRD.” As a prominent autonomous driving startup in China, WeRide offers a diverse portfolio of autonomous transportation solutions, including autonomous taxis (Robotaxi), minibuses (Robobus), freight vehicles (Robovan), sanitation vehicles (Robosweeper), and advanced intelligent driving solutions.
This news marks an exciting development for WeRide as they continue to push the boundaries of autonomous driving technology and pave the way for a future where driverless vehicles are a common sight on our roads.
