Shanghai Issues First Batch of Licenses for Driverless Equipment?
Recently, news emerged that the Traffic Police Detachment of the Pudong Branch of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau has issued the first batch of identification licenses for driverless equipment. The new licenses are designed with a combination of light blue and white, with the regional abbreviation at the beginning, followed by a combination of letters and numbers, and clearly labeled “Unmanned Equipment” at the top.
Many netizens have associated the identification licenses for driverless equipment with driverless cars, and some self-media outlets have even claimed that these are “exclusive licenses for driverless cars.”
On November 15, The Paper learned from relevant departments and enterprises in Pudong New Area that the above understanding is a misinterpretation. The driverless equipment is not the manned vehicles that netizens assume, but refers to low-speed wheeled equipment for unmanned delivery. The main difference between it and driverless cars is that it has no driver’s seat (cabin) and mainly operates on non-motor vehicle lanes to perform predetermined tasks, such as delivery, environmental sanitation, and patrol.
[Image of the identification license for driverless equipment from the “Postal Express Convenience” WeChat official account]
Driverless Equipment ≠ Driverless Car
In fact, issuing identification licenses for driverless equipment is not a “new thing” that has just happened in recent days.
According to “Pudong Fabu,” during the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference held in July this year, the Traffic Police Detachment of the Pudong Branch of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Pudong New Area Science and Technology and Economic Commission jointly issued the city’s first batch of identification licenses for driverless equipment, with five enterprises receiving certification. This is an important milestone for the application of driverless equipment in Pudong New Area and even nationwide, marking that driverless equipment is gradually moving towards a new stage of standardized and large-scale application.
[Image source: Pudong Fabu]
However, recently, this “identification license” has gained momentum online and been interpreted as a “driverless car license.” Some short videos have even associated images of the identification license with driverless cars, and the platform has created the topic #ShanghaiIssuesFirstBatchOfDriverlessCarLicenses.
On November 15, a reporter from The Paper interviewed a driverless car enterprise and learned that the identification license for driverless equipment is completely different from a driverless car license, and the identification license for driverless equipment cannot be used for driverless taxis. Currently, all intelligent connected vehicles in Shanghai must obtain test licenses in accordance with laws and regulations, and will be replaced regularly according to relevant management regulations.
How to Correctly Understand Driverless Equipment?
The Pudong New Area Science and Technology and Economic Commission (abbreviated as “Science and Economic Commission”) introduced to The Paper that on June 29, 2023, the Pudong New Area People’s Congress passed the “Several Provisions on Promoting the Innovative Application of Driverless Equipment in Pudong New Area,” which clearly states that driverless equipment refers to low-speed wheeled equipment that meets relevant technical standards or specifications, completes autonomous driving through intelligent connected systems, and performs predetermined tasks, operating on non-motor vehicle lanes within specific roads and areas.
According to the technical requirements and field testing methods for low-speed driverless equipment in the delivery category issued by the Shanghai Vehicle Networking Association in the “T/SHV2X2 Group Standard,” driverless equipment refers to wheeled equipment that operates at specified speeds within specific roads and areas, does not meet the definition of a motor vehicle, has no driver’s seat (cabin), completes autonomous driving through intelligent and connected systems, and performs predetermined tasks.
The reporter learned that currently, a total of 17 pieces of driverless equipment from five enterprises in Pudong New Area have obtained identification licenses for driverless equipment, with Bai Xiniu being one of the first enterprises. On November 15, relevant staff from the enterprise told The Paper’s reporter that after obtaining the identification license, their unmanned logistics vehicles can legally operate on the road, and their driverless equipment is mainly used for connections between outlets and stations. Currently, the enterprise is actively expanding its unmanned delivery business and has reached cooperations with express delivery companies to provide them with logistics and delivery services.
Why Issue Identification Licenses for Driverless Equipment?
Did driverless equipment have any “licenses” before? What is the main purpose of issuing identification licenses this time?
The Pudong New Area Science and Economic Commission stated that driverless equipment did not have a unified license identification before, and the significance of issuing identification licenses this time mainly lies in three aspects:
Firstly, it clarifies the responsibility attribution for driverless equipment in case of accidents. Although a complete national legal and regulatory framework for driverless technology has not yet been established, Pudong New Area, through the implementation of detailed provisions, legally issues identification licenses to driverless equipment enterprises, which, to a certain extent, clarifies the responsibility attribution for driverless equipment in case of accidents.
Secondly, it increases the supervision of driverless equipment within the region. With a dedicated identification for driverless equipment, management departments can more easily track and manage driverless equipment, ensuring road safety. It provides a more convenient and effective way for traffic management departments to supervise.
Finally, it promotes the application of driverless technology and integrates it into the daily lives of the public. Dedicated identification licenses help promote the application and development of driverless technology in the transportation sector. The special colors and identifications help traditional drivers quickly identify and respond accordingly on the road. At the same time, it raises public awareness and acceptance of driverless technology, facilitating the better integration of driverless equipment into the daily lives of the public.
How is the Application of Driverless Cars Progressing?
Many people are also concerned about the progress of driverless cars that can carry passengers and whether there will be exclusive licenses for them.
[Image of a temporary license plate “Hu N5590 Shi” placed on the windshield of an intelligent connected vehicle on Boyuan Road, Jiading District, Shanghai, on March 19, 2018. Photo by Yu Kai, The Paper]
The Pudong New Area Science and Economic Commission told The Paper’s reporter that test licenses for driverless intelligent connected vehicles (i.e., “driverless cars”) were issued in March of last year, but this does not mean they can operate on the road. Driverless vehicles will undergo stages such as road testing, demonstration applications, and demonstration operations, with corresponding temporary license plates and vehicle identification licenses for each testing stage. Currently, driverless vehicles in Pudong New Area are in the demonstration application stage and are expected to advance to the demonstration operation stage by the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
Pudong New Area has also formulated relevant regulations and implementation details for driverless vehicles. Unlike driverless equipment, driverless vehicles involve carrying passengers, so government departments are more rigorous in granting relevant temporary license plates and vehicle identification licenses.
It is reported that in November 2022, the Shanghai People’s Congress passed the country’s first local regulation on the innovative application of intelligent connected vehicles, the “Provisions on Promoting the Innovative Application of Driverless Intelligent Connected Vehicles in Pudong New Area, Shanghai.” In March 2023, the Pudong New Area People’s Government issued the “Implementation Details of the Provisions on Promoting the Innovative Application of Driverless Intelligent Connected Vehicles in Pudong New Area, Shanghai,” providing a solid legal guarantee for the unmanned operation of intelligent connected vehicles.
The Pudong New Area Science and Economic Commission stated that it will promote legislation and regulation for driverless intelligent connected vehicles, implement total control, organically balance the interaction between the government and the market, and establish a framework for the orderly development of the driverless industry. At the same time, it will also explore establishing a closed loop for employment security for driverless enterprises and traditional driver groups, with relevant safety and operational positions in the driverless sector appropriately tilted towards traditional driver groups.