Self-driving to revolutionize transportation

Large-scale commercial use of tech may become reality sooner than expected

When Wu Zhenpeng, a 32-year-old IT engineer from Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, hailed a self-driving taxi to reach home after work, all he had to input on the ride-hailing app was the pickup and drop-off points and the number of passengers.

A few minutes later, a robotaxi approached, with no driver or safety operator sitting in, and soon Wu was on his way back.

The driverless vehicle operated smoothly without sudden braking or acceleration, Wu said. "When there is a traffic jam, the car automatically replans routes and switches to the most convenient path, with an average speed of about 65 kilometers per hour. I think there is no difference between this driverless car and cars with drivers."