Beijing expands testing area for self-driving vehicles

Baidu's Apollo self-driving bus attracts attention at a park in Beijing's Haidian district. [Photo by Pang Zhengzheng/For China Daily]

BEIJING - Beijing's Haidian District, the capital's tech hub, is seeking to expand its lead in self-driving vehicles with a plan to create more spaces for tests.

The district will build a demonstration area with 100 square kilometers for self-driving vehicles, said Dai Binbin, head of the Haidian District Government.

The demonstration area is part of a 15-point action plan issued by the district government to spur the development and innovation of driverless vehicles and smart connected cars.

The area will be a place to develop smart connected cars and smart transportation through featuring multiple scenarios, cloud management, simulated tests and data support, said Dai.

Companies and researchers will be able to test technologies in commuting, logistics and delivery and road cleaning, he said.

Haidian District seeks to step up international cooperation in the industry and plans to host a high-level competition of driverless vehicles, Dai said.

In March 2018, Beijing earmarked 33 roads with a total length of 105 km for autonomous car testing in Yizhuang, Shunyi and Haidian, all of which are outside the Fifth Ring Road and away from densely-populated areas.

Haidian is home to the Zhongguancun Science Park, dubbed the capital's tech hub.