-
WeRide receives approval to test driverless vehicles with passengers in California.
-
The company holds two permits from the California Public Utilities Commission for drivered and driverless pilot testing.
-
WeRide is planning to go public on the US stock market with a nearly $5 billion valuation.
WeRide, a Chinese autonomous vehicle company, has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to test its driverless vehicles with passengers. This milestone comes as the company prepares to go public on the US stock market with a valuation of nearly $5 billion.
WeRide holds two permits for testing its vehicles on public roads in California, one with a human safety driver and the other without. The permits allow the company to test its vehicles in San Jose and nearby areas, but do not permit charging passengers for rides. WeRide has been testing its vehicles autonomously without passengers in California since 2021.
The company’s expansion in California has been slow, with only 42,391 autonomous miles driven in 2023. WeRide is also testing its vehicles in other countries, including China, Singapore, and the UAE. In addition to its robotaxi, the company is working on a robobus, robovan, and robotic street sweeper.
