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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
GUANGZHOU, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) — The future of urban mobility is ahead of schedule in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou.
Upon arrival at Baiyun International Airport, a simple online booking is enough to have a driverless taxi arrive at the airport. Within the city, autonomous minibuses take passengers to attractions such as the Canton Tower, while low-altitude flight routes allow the “air buses” to be used in everyday life.
Since February this year, Guangzhou-based robotaxi service provider Pony.ai has been running a robotaxi service between the city center, the airport, and the high-speed rail station. Passengers have reported a calm experience: no abrupt stops, no crawling transitions, just a spacious cabin gliding along at a leisurely pace.
“Our rates are in line with those of regular taxis,” says Chen Haosheng, a Pony.ai employee. “Each car now makes up to 15 trips a day, and demand is growing.” The difference is subtle—dozens of high-definition radars and cameras, not a human hand, evaluate each lane change.
Another Guangzhou-based tech company, WeRide, launched an autonomous minibus service at the Canton Tower. The futuristic service has become a must-have for tourists visiting the city.
The 9-kilometer Canton Tower Loop, which operates daily from 8:00 to 21:00, carried 1.13 million passengers and traveled more than 2.01 million kilometers from December 2023 to the end of 2024.
According to the city bus authority, as of the end of April 2025, 12 such driverless bus routes operating in Guangzhou had safely served 1.17 million passengers and traveled 2.17 million kilometers.
The launch of these demonstration routes demonstrates Guangzhou's steady progress in autonomous driving.
As one of the first cities in China to explore autonomous driving capabilities, Guangzhou offers a rich variety of road test scenarios, creating favorable conditions for the application and demonstration of intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs).
Since 2018, Guangzhou has been actively developing the ICV market, implementing policies and standards related to road testing, demonstration application and operation, and gradually opening up its urban roads.
The city is also pushing the boundaries of autonomous driving by aggressively pursuing “air transportation.” In late March, EHang Intelligent, a Guangzhou-based drone manufacturer, received certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate autonomous passenger drones. This means consumers will soon be able to purchase tickets at designated locations in Guangzhou to experience low-altitude tours, city sightseeing, and various commercial passenger services.
Developed by EHang, the EH216-S is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle. It has completed over 60,000 safe flights worldwide and can be applied in scenarios such as passenger transportation, aerial tours, air logistics, and even emergency medical care.
"In the future, planes will have fixed stations like buses, and these stations will be very close to people's homes and destinations. People will also be able to book planes through their mobile phones," said Xue Peng, vice president of EHang Intelligent.
According to the Guangzhou Low-Altitude Economy Development Plan released in May 2024, the total value of Guangzhou's low-altitude economy is expected to reach 150 billion yuan (about 21 billion US dollars) by 2027, with commercial manned flights being one of the main areas.
Data released by the CAAC shows that the market value of the low-altitude economy sector is expected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2025, and could soar to 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035. -0-
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