In partnership with Chinese leader AutoX, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is introducing self-drived robotic taxis to China. The companies confirmed today that reports of their collaboration were going to be built in the FCA Chrysler Pacificas on the AutoX AI Driver platform. In the first half of 2020, robotaxis can appear in Chinese cities such as Shenzhen and Shanghai.
“The AutoX Driver has adopted local driving styles in China to navigate in complex and dynamic urban conditions,” AutoX wrote in a blog post.
For FCA, this is another way to break into the self-driving vehicle field. The company lags behind some of its competitors when it comes to electric- and autonomous-vehicle tech. So far, its efforts have mostly included EV concepts like the Centoventi and supplying Waymo with Chrysler Pacificas, the same van that AutoX will use.
FCA will face plenty of competition in China, where self-driving car tests have been permitted on public roads since 2017. Alibaba, Baidu, Chinese ridesharing company Didi Chuxingare and Tencent are all working on autonomous vehicle platforms.
Volvo and Ford are both involved with Baidu. Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s autonomous driving subsidiary, Volkswagen Autonomy or VWAT, plans to open an office in China in 2021.
