With 17 companies involved in public transit, logistics, and other urban sectors, Guangzhou now has over 500 autonomous vehicles, the highest number in China. Testing operations span over 2,600 km of designated public roads. This network includes 1,340 regular road segments and 10 highway routes across 8 districts.

By last July, the city's autonomous vehicles logged over 1.3 million operational hours. In 2024, 93.17% of driving was conducted in autonomous mode, a 3.67% increase from the previous year, according to Guanghou Daily.

A Pony.ai autonomous vehicle in Guangzhou. Photo: Business Wire

A Pony.ai autonomous vehicle in Guangzhou. Photo: Business Wire

Current projects involve 508 self-driving vehicles in urban transport, freight logistics, and municipal services. The Guangzhou Bus Group deployed 50 autonomous buses on over 10 routes, while an additional 75 vehicles operated by Pony.ai, WeRide, and Ruqi Mobility are part of a pilot program. WeRide also introduced over 50 self-driving street sweepers.

The area's digital infrastructure includes 78,000 5G base stations as of 3/2025, covering 602 km of national highways and 490 km of provincial roads. Guangzhou's individual 5G usage rate reached a national high of 105.94%.

Guangzhou is piloting "vehicle-road-cloud" integration in 4 areas: Huangpu, Haizhu, Huadu, and Panyu. Over 10,400 vehicles are equipped with PC5 communication modules and BeiDou satellite navigation. Roadside infrastructure support includes: 530 communication units, 897 sensors, and 419 edge computing stations. Additionally, 205 traffic lights are upgraded for network-based signal control. A cloud-based control system and real-time map platform are under development.

In February, the city issued innovation development regulations for intelligent connected vehicles, providing a legal framework for road testing, operation, and phased deployment. A local development plan released this year sets timelines for infrastructure, policies, and commercial rollout.

Guangzhou is also designated as a core hub in China's intelligent vehicle industry chain, led by GAC Group. The local government has supported over 40 investment projects since 2024, including new facilities from GAC Honda, Dongfeng Nissan, and Xpeng.

My Anh