Mar. 13, 2022
Source: Dawan News
On March 12, an autonomous delivery vehicle developed by Rino.ai began trial operations on multiple roads in the Hefei High-Tech Zone. Equipped with Level 4 autonomous driving technology, these vehicles are expected to enter commercial delivery operations following the conclusion of road testing. This marks the official arrival of Hefei’s first fleet of autonomous delivery vehicles.
Recently, the Hefei Municipal Office for the Development of Intelligent Connected Vehicle (ICV) Industry issued a notice approving the entry of Rino.ai Zhida (Hefei) Technology Co., Ltd. into the local ICV testing program. After receiving Rino.ai’s application for public road testing, the office—entrusted by the Hefei Bureau of Economy and Information Technology—commissioned the Hefei Intelligent Connected Vehicle Innovation Center to carry out a technical evaluation. The center issued a positive assessment, confirming the vehicle’s eligibility for the first phase of road rights. An official Road Test Permit was subsequently issued to Rino.ai.
Rino.ai’s test runs will take place within designated open-road areas in Hefei’s High-Tech and Shushan districts. The pilot consists of two phases and includes comprehensive testing of key capabilities such as: Obstacle detection and response、Pedestrian and non-motorized vehicle identification and response、Vehicle recognition and response、Traffic signal recognition、Autonomous parking、Audio broadcast-based alerts、Remote intervention and control
To ensure smooth operations, the Hefei Free Trade Zone Administrative Bureau and local authorities issued a public advisory requesting citizens not to gather around test vehicles to avoid traffic congestion.
In the first stage, Rino.ai will collaborate with local supermarkets to conduct fresh produce and grocery deliveries within a 3–5 km radius of partner stores, with a safety operator onboard during early operations.
Rino.ai is China’s first company to deploy autonomous delivery vehicles for fresh produce and retail on public urban roads. As a Level 4 autonomous driving technology provider, the company has full R&D and mass production capabilities for its delivery vehicle fleet.
Rino.ai has already tested and operated its fleet in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, achieving over 40,000 km of accident-free commercial operation. The company’s milestones include: Regular autonomous testing in the Beijing ICV Demonstration Zone since 2019, Participating in COVID-19 response efforts in early 2020, delivering medical supplies to Wuhan’s temporary hospitals, Launching a pilot project in Shanghai’s Jiading District in Q3 2020.
In December 2021, Hefei was selected as part of the second national cohort of Smart City Infrastructure and ICV Pilot Cities. Over the next two years, the city will prioritize the testing and deployment of intelligent connected vehicles as part of its development plan.
