WeRide Wins Permit for Autonomous Robotaxi Service in Shanghai, Partnering with Chery to Revolutionize Urban Mobility
Rhea-AI Summary
WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD) has secured a significant permit from Shanghai authorities to operate Level 4 autonomous Robotaxi services in the Pudong New Area. The company has partnered with Chery Group and Jinjiang Taxi to launch fully mass-produced Robotaxis during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2025).
The service connects major Shanghai locations including the World Expo Center, Jinqiao, Huamu, Pudong International Airport, and Shanghai Disney Resort. WeRide and Chery have jointly developed the CER Robotaxi model, built on WeRide One platform and EXEED's STERRA ET architecture, featuring over 20 sensors and five layers of redundant safety systems.
This marks WeRide's expansion into its tenth global city, following successful operations in cities across China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland, with over 2,000 days of safe operation.
Positive
- Obtained Level 4 autonomous Robotaxi permit in Shanghai, expanding to tenth global city
- Strategic partnership with major automotive manufacturer Chery Group
- Successfully operating in 9 other cities across 3 countries with 2,000+ days of safe operation
- Advanced technology integration with 20+ sensors and five layers of redundant safety systems
Negative
- None.
Insights
WeRide's Shanghai permit strengthens its robotaxi leadership position, with mass-production partnership creating significant commercialization advantage.
WeRide's newly acquired permit in Shanghai represents a significant operational milestone in the autonomous vehicle industry. The approval for Level 4 autonomous Robotaxi services places WeRide among an elite group of companies with regulatory clearance to operate truly driverless vehicles in major urban environments. What makes this development particularly noteworthy is the partnership with Chery Group, which provides WeRide with a crucial advantage in the race to commercialization.
The jointly developed CER model exemplifies the industry's shift from retrofitted autonomous vehicles to purpose-built, mass-produced Robotaxis. This approach drastically improves unit economics while enabling scalability. The vehicle's technical specifications reveal a sophisticated integration of WeRide's autonomous technology stack with Chery's electric vehicle platform, featuring redundant safety systems across five critical components – steering, braking, parking, communication, and power – addressing a key regulatory requirement for L4 operations.
WeRide's expansion into its tenth global city demonstrates the maturity and transferability of its autonomous driving solution across diverse regulatory environments. With operations spanning across three continents, WeRide has accumulated valuable real-world operational data under varying traffic conditions, infrastructure designs, and cultural driving behaviors. The
The strategic selection of Shanghai – particularly connecting transportation hubs and tourism destinations – indicates a focus on high-density, commercially viable routes rather than just technology demonstrations. This pragmatic deployment strategy suggests WeRide is prioritizing revenue-generating operations over simply expanding geographic presence.
SHANGHAI, China, July 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD), a global leader of autonomous driving technology, has been granted a permit from the Shanghai municipal government to operate regulation-compliant, Level 4 (L4) autonomous Robotaxi ride-hailing services. Issued during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2025) in Shanghai, the permit enables WeRide, in partnership with Chery Group and Jinjiang Taxi, to deploy Robotaxis on public roads in Pudong New Area. This milestone also marks the WeRide Robotaxi’s official entry into its tenth city globally.
As part of WAIC’s Level 4 Intelligent Vehicle Experience Showcase, the three partners jointly launched the event’s only fully mass-produced, pre-installed L4 Robotaxi shuttle service. The service connects key Shanghai transport hubs and cultural-tourism landmarks, including the Shanghai World Expo Center, Jinqiao, Huamu, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and Shanghai Disney Resort. Residents, tourists, and conference attendees are able to book rides through the “Jinjiang Smart Mobility” WeChat mini-program.
WeRide, Chery Group, and Jinjiang Taxi jointly launched a Robotaxi shuttle service at WAIC 2025
WeRide, a pioneer and leader in the Robotaxi industry, and Chery Group, China’s first independent brand to exceed one million vehicle sales, have joined forces to develop a new generation of mass-produced Robotaxis. Chery’s premium new energy vehicle brand, EXEED, is advancing rapidly in smart, connected, and electric mobility, with significant progress in EV platform architecture.
Together, they unveiled their jointly developed Robotaxi model — the CER — at Auto Shanghai 2025. The CER is built on WeRide’s universal autonomous driving platform, WeRide One, and EXEED’s STERRA ET vehicle architecture.
At WAIC 2025, WeRide and Chery showcased the CER in active operation. Equipped with WeRide’s High-Performance Computing platform and Sensor Suite 5.6, the CER features over 20 sensors — including cost-efficient LiDARs, HD cameras, and RTK-precision navigation modules — and incorporates five layers of redundant safety systems (steering, braking, parking, communication, and power supply redundancy). The CER’s spacious interior and extended range on the EXEED STERRA ET platform enable it to support long-distance, all-scenario, high-frequency driverless shuttle services.
Founded in 2017, WeRide has been at the forefront of Robotaxi R&D and commercial deployment. It has launched Robotaxi testing or operations across nine cities in three countries, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Ordos, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh, and Zurich, accumulating over 2,000 days of safe operation. The approval of the permit in Shanghai marks WeRide's entry into its tenth city globally, showcasing the company’s robust autonomous driving technology and efficient global deployment capabilities.
Looking ahead, WeRide will deepen collaborations with global partners to accelerate Robotaxi technological advancements, scale commercial deployments, and elevate service standards — driving cities worldwide toward a smarter, safer, and more connected transportation future.
About WeRide
WeRide is a global leader and a first mover in the autonomous driving industry, as well as the first publicly traded Robotaxi company. Our autonomous vehicles have been tested or operated in over 30 cities across 10 countries. We are also the first and only technology company whose products have received autonomous driving permits in five markets: China, the UAE, Singapore, France, and the US. Empowered by the smart, versatile, cost-effective, and highly adaptable WeRide One platform, WeRide provides autonomous driving products and services from L2 to L4, addressing transportation needs in the mobility, logistics, and sanitation industries. WeRide was named in Fortune Magazine’s 2024 “The Future 50” list.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/23ee4547-bca6-4549-a555-09abba113e6c
FAQ
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