China leads way with self-driving vehicle tech

Revenue of nation's autonomous auto market expected to exceed $500b by 2030

WeRide, a global autonomous driving company headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong province in South China, created a splash when the United Arab Emirates awarded it the country's first national license for self-driving vehicles. This was the first such license globally, giving WeRide a place in history.

With the move, WeRide, which mainly offers level-4 autonomous driving solutions, is able to conduct various road tests of autonomous vehicles on open roads across the Middle Eastern country. Level-4 autonomy means the car can drive by itself in most conditions without a human backup driver.

Backing the achievement is the latest momentum gained by Chinese autonomous driving companies in terms of self-driving technologies and commercialization. These companies are increasingly recognized by enterprises and governments globally for their overall capacity to make self-driving on roads a reality.