WeRide has received the necessary approval to launch its latest robotaxi, the GXR, for fully unmanned paid ride-hailing services in Beijing.
For the autonomous driving technology company, this marks its second robotaxi model to achieve fully driverless commercial operations in Beijing and the first large-scale commercial deployment of the GXR in China, following its launch on the Uber platform in Abu Dhabi last December.
The service area spans key regions within the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, including high-speed railway stations. In addition to these stations, the GXR is also approved for commercial operations on select highways across the city, including routes to and from Beijing Daxing International Airport.
The GXR robotaxi itself, WeRide says, features SAE L4-level redundant drive-by-wire chassis architecture, open mobile travel space, and a ‘hidden’ B-pillar design. It can accommodate up to five passengers, offers a wide entry and exit space, extended seating space, and large luggage storage. Once it rolls out, the GXR can be hailed by users through the WeRide Go app, which is currently available for download in major mobile app stores.
WeRide initially launched its fully unmanned robotaxi services in Beijing in June 2023. With the commercial launch of GXR, WeRide will look to expand the service scope and scale, with plans to increase the number of robotaxi operations in Beijing to several hundred units by 2025.
