Sep. 19, 2022
Source: 36Kr
Hefei continues to push innovation forward! As a key prelude to the 2022 World Manufacturing Convention, on September 19th, during the 2022 International (Hefei) Energy-saving and New Energy Vehicle Expo, Hefei city issued its first-ever commercial operating license for low-speed autonomous delivery vehicles to leading company Rino.ai. This groundbreaking commercial permit is the first of its kind issued by a first-tier city in China, marking a pioneering breakthrough in the management of low-speed autonomous vehicles within the autonomous driving sector.
Multiple Innovative Initiatives: Hefei Builds a Growth Platform for Low-Speed Autonomous Vehicles
At the end of last year, Hefei was designated a pilot city for the coordinated development of smart city infrastructure and intelligent connected vehicles (referred to as “dual-intelligence” or “Shuangzhi”). Autonomous driving is a core component of Hefei’s dual-intelligence city development. Recognizing the crucial role low-speed autonomous vehicles play in logistics—particularly in transitioning express delivery from labor-intensive to technology-intensive industries—Hefei early on identified their value as a key scenario for building a national innovation hub for intelligent new energy vehicles. The city has implemented multiple pioneering measures to cultivate a fertile environment for their growth.
On the organizational front, Hefei established an Intelligent Connected Vehicle Development Group composed of multiple government departments including Economic and Information Technology, Transportation, and Public Security. Just one month after Hefei’s “dual-intelligence” city designation in January 2022, this group visited Rino.ai’s headquarters in Beijing for research. Two months later, Rino.ai commenced routine road testing in Hefei, becoming the city’s first autonomous delivery project. By May 2022, Rino.ai completed relevant testing and entered the commercial trial operation phase. Now, with the commercial license in hand, Rino.ai is authorized to conduct official commercial activities city-wide in Hefei—a milestone achieved within just six months from testing to full commercialization—demonstrating the city’s strong confidence and recognition of Rino.ai’s capabilities. Rino.ai representatives have praised Hefei’s rapid progress.
Road access permission is the first essential step for autonomous vehicles to hit public roads. In August, Hefei announced the second batch of open road listings for intelligent connected vehicle testing, comprising approximately 464 kilometers of two-way roads. This expansion provides more space for testing and directly fuels technology development. Notably, Hefei is the first city to grant road access rights in bustling downtown areas, enabling companies like Rino.ai—focused on open road autonomous delivery—to operate effectively and precisely.
In some roads within the Shushan District, residents have become accustomed to seeing Rino.ai vehicles cruising the streets, as autonomous vehicle technology genuinely begins serving daily life. Through partnerships with major supermarkets, Rino.ai offers instant delivery services for fresh produce and retail goods in some of Hefei’s busiest commercial districts: customers simply place orders via a supermarket app, the store loads packages into Rino.ai’s capacious autonomous vehicle, which autonomously plans the route and acts as an intelligent delivery agent on multiple public roads. Upon reaching the target residential area, orders are handed off to community managers who complete the last step of delivery. This close integration of autonomous driving technology with everyday life exemplifies the commercial fusion of innovation and convenience.
As of mid-September, Rino.ai has deployed vehicles in both Hefei High-Tech Zone and Shushan District, achieving commercial trial operation 7 days a week, 12 hours per day, covering tens of thousands of kilometers.
Demonstration Effect: New Development Opportunities for Low-Speed Autonomous Vehicles
Compared to other categories of autonomous vehicles domestically, while low-speed autonomous vehicle scenarios and technologies are relatively mature, regulatory frameworks for these vehicles remain underdeveloped. Previously, a few cities issued commercial licenses for robotaxi autonomous vehicles, but no first-tier city had granted commercial licenses for low-speed autonomous vehicles until now. The autonomous driving industry generally agrees that low-speed cargo-carrying autonomous vehicles are the easiest category to commercialize. As one of the most innovative cities in China, Hefei’s move sets a regulatory and operational benchmark for other cities nationwide.
As a first-tier city with complex traffic conditions and high population density, Hefei places advanced demands on low-speed autonomous vehicles in technology, operation, and regulation. This requires government-led, multi-department coordination to foster industry growth, while companies like Rino.ai face exponentially higher requirements on driving technology and safety performance in crowded public roads. Granting Rino.ai a commercial license not only validates the company’s ability to safely navigate busy urban environments but also reflects Hefei’s accumulated experience and confidence in managing autonomous delivery vehicles—an experience model that other cities can replicate.
Commercialization enables technology to develop sustainably and robustly. Rino.ai leads the low-speed autonomous vehicle industry’s commercialization efforts. It is one of the earliest Chinese companies to deploy autonomous delivery vehicles for fresh produce and retail logistics, with partnerships including Yonghui Superstores and Dada Group. Hefei’s commercial license issuance demonstrates that the commercial value of low-speed autonomous delivery vehicles is not only recognized by businesses but also endorsed by government authorities, injecting fresh momentum into the sector.
Rino.ai representatives expressed their commitment to leveraging this milestone as a new opportunity to accelerate expansion within Hefei, broadening commercial operations to bring autonomous fresh and retail delivery services to more residents.
