According to Rino’s regional director for Anhui Province, Zhang Qichen, deliveries are not only faster, but companies can hire three autonomous electric delivery vans which will run for days without needing a charge for the same cost as one driver.
She says she has been blown away by the pace of change in her industry and adds that she would not be surprised if heavy, long-haul lorries are routinely driving themselves on roads in certain circumstances within five years.
Professor Yang agrees. “Heavy trucks running along a highway unrestricted, at least five years away.”
When asked if it could really happen so soon, he responds: “I’m pretty sure it will happen. In fact, I’m confident that it will happen.”
Industry insiders say that the most immediate applications for driverless lorries – apart from in enclosed industrial zones likes open-cut mines or ports – are probably in remote, harsh terrain with extreme environmental conditions, especially along vast stretches and in a largely straight trajectory.
Significant technical challenges do remain though.
Heavy lorries need better cameras to track well ahead into distance to detect hazards much further down the road, in the same way a person can; more tricky roads may also need to have extra sensors placed along the route; other hurdles could include breakdowns in extreme weather or sudden, unexpected dangers emerging amidst very busy traffic.
On top of all this, the technology – when it comes to heavy lorries – is still not cheap. What’s more, these vehicles are right now modified old style lorries rather than self-driving vehicles straight off the production line.
China wants to be a champion of new tech, but it also has to be careful, not only because of the potential for deadly accidents but also because of how Chinese people might view this shift.
“This is not just about fulfilling regulations. It is not just about building a public image,” says Chim Lee. “But that, over time, the public will see the benefit of this technology, see how it will reduce their costs for buying things, or look at it as a way of imagining that society is improving, rather than viewing this as technology which is potentially destroying, causing car accidents or removing employment opportunities.”
Professor Yang sees another problem. “We humans can tolerate another human driver making mistakes but our tolerance for autonomous trucks is much much lower. Machines are not supposed to make mistakes. So, we have to make sure that the system is extremely reliable.”
