Intrigued by automated driving? Perhaps you've already tried one of the real Waymo or Zoox robotaxis in the United States. (Tesla's "robotaxis" probably don't count yet.)
China is the other real global hotspot for automated driving, with some of its biggest companies eager to expand around the world. Yet many people in the West — even many experts — don't really understand what's happening on China's streets. Often, we hear people simply claim that China is either way ahead or way behind.
Together, we have more than three decades of experience working on automated driving in industry and academia. Since meeting at Stanford University, we've collectively spent countless hours riding in Chinese as well as American robotaxis.
We wrote this piece to share our experiences in China and to help you plan — or even daydream — your own.