AutoX has launched its robotaxi service in Shenzhen

[Polycount]

In brief: AutoX's self-driving car business is excelling in China. In December, the company became the first in the world to deploy completely driverless vehicles on the streets of Shenzhen, China, and now, it has launched a full robotaxi service.

If you live in Shenzhen, you can take one of AutoX's vehicles out for a spin right now. You'll need to be approved for the company's pilot program first, but once you are, hailing a robocab should be as easy as pulling up the AutoX app.

Of course, AutoX's self-driving taxi service isn't free -- you'll need to load up your account with "Anto card points," whatever those are. These will help you pay for rides, though it's unclear how much they will cost, or how many points will be deducted per ride.

If you do decide to sign up for the service, it might take a while for you to receive a response -- AutoX says a staff member will have to reach out and activate your membership.

AutoX's fleet of self-driving cars is made up of Chrysler Pacifica minivans, which you can see in action via the video above. From what we can tell, AutoX's cars seem to tackle most basic obstacles, such as pedestrians and traffic lights, with relative ease.

However, it will take quite a bit more real-world testing before any of us can conclusively rate the company's performance.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/88466-autox-has-launched-robotaxi-service-shenzhen.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Is there a way Techspot can start a countdown timer till the first car accident involving this robotaxi?

 

[Uncle Al]

An interesting suggestion. I would like to see how it handles long gravel or dirt roads since future clients could be more remote, on a farm or up a long winding gravel / dirt road. That might suggest it should have some detailed maps on board that are regularly updated for these areas. Surely it is not dependent on satellite tech for such awkward situations. Also, could you arrange for a regular daily pick up with your favorite robo-taxi? My driver in NYC would pick me up every night and would have a couple of cold one's for me too .... now that was the ideal taxi trip!

 

[Ludak021]

It's gonna be a disaster. But no one living on the side of the dirty road 200 miles from asphalt is gonna be able or want to afford this ride. So let's be realistic: it can do much more damage in Shenzen town center wher it could mow dawn hundreds of cyclists and moped drivers in a minute.

 

[DaveBG]

The video looks like a paid ad. I will believe it when independent reviewers put it trough its paces. I bet someone is controlling the car remotely for this video.