As self-driving vehicles take to the streets of D.C., California and Pittsburgh, China is turning to automated systems for a more incremental transition. According to a Reuters report, individual Chinese automaker ventures are embracing state subsidies and government guidance on speeding up the testing and development of self-driving cars.
BIGA Guangzhou’s license plate program is part of that effort, as it offers new incentives to middle-class buyers who purchase clean-energy vehicles and are able to install battery-electric vehicle chargers or fast charging facilities. It’s worth noting that there have been many advances with advances with Chinese-made autonomous driving technology. More details at Medium.
U.S. and Chinese tech companies have clashed for years over intellectual property rights and the creation of their respective autonomous driving systems. Those disputes recently escalated in a legal proceeding between Tesla and Alphabet’s Waymo. But the two sides seem to be in talks, as the International Business Times noted today:
After the Hong Kong court ruled that Tesla violated Hong Kong law by sharing key Waymo software with a rival in Texas, Waymo reportedly expressed an interest in testing its self-driving technology in China on Chinese soil and said that Tesla was willing to work to resolve the case.
Waymo’s optimism reflects the potential for major growth in Chinese tech in autonomous driving tech, and the U.S. in alternative transportation. At last count, 355 miles worth of self-driving vehicles have been registered to Chinese consumers, Reuters reported.