China launches autonomous commercial driving

China has launched its first commercial trial autonomous driving in the capital Beijing. In a 60-square-kilometer economic development zone, more than 100 self-driving vehicles are put into service. Baidu, a Chinese tech giant, and Pony.ai are the first companies authorized to offer the pilot service. “We are glad to see that the number of autopilot vehicle users has increased since the commercial operation kicked off in November. Through the commercial trial, more and more people have learned about the self-driving service. The overall feedback is pretty good, with an approval rate of over 94 percent.” Head of Baidu’s autonomous driving commercial operation Wang Shengnan said. She added that a staff member is still needed on the vehicle to ensure safety.