Chinese company tests self-driving cars in Singapore, fueling global dreams

Image of WeRide's self-driving bus in Singapore.

On December 11, Chinese autonomous vehicle company WeRide announced that it had received two important permits from Singapore authorities allowing WeRide's autonomous buses to be tested on public roads on a "larger" scale.

The two permits, dubbed M1 and T1 respectively, were granted by Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) and will allow WeRide's autonomous buses to be tested in areas including the One North technology cluster and the National University of Singapore.

Just five months ago, WeRide announced that it had been granted permission to test its robotaxi on the streets of the UAE, a country that is implementing bold policies to build a smart transportation system.

In addition, WeRide has also obtained testing licenses at different levels in the US and China.

One of the permits WeRide received is called Milestone 1 (or M1) under the LTA's classification, which means the vehicle can be tested on open roads in certain areas, with a safety supervisor having full control of the vehicle.

To promote overseas market penetration, WeRide has been actively building relationships with local regulatory agencies and business partners for many years.

WeRide's investors have agreed to put up more than $1.4 billion in funding, including SMRT - a major public transport operator in Singapore, and local investment firm K3 Ventures.

WeRide has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Woodlands Transport Services, one of Singapore's largest private transport operators, and bus service company EZ Buzz to launch its autonomous vehicle trial.

As one of China's most well-funded autonomous vehicle companies, WeRide is valued at $4.4 billion by 2022.

WeRide has become typical of a wave of Chinese tech companies expanding into the Singapore market.

In March 2023, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong drove a WeRide robotaxi during a visit to China. WeRide founder and CEO Tony Han also declared Singapore as a “regional hub” for the company’s Asia-Pacific expansion.

(according to TechCR)

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