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Announced at Auto China 2026, Chinese tech firms WeRide and Lenovo have revealed an expanded partnership to develop 200,000 autonomous vehicles over the next five years. Of these 200,000 vehicles, many will be robotaxis operating at Level 4 autonomous capability, or “driver-out.”
Based in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, WeRide has already been a leader in China’s autonomous push, with established R&D and pilot projects in 40 cities across 12 countries globally.
The group has autonomous permits in eight markets, including China, the U.S., the Middle East, and Europe.
Through a strategic partnership with Lenovo, the company, led by CEO Tony Han, is aiming to contribute to China’s dominance in the AV space. Lenovo brings experience in intelligent computing and AI-powered, large-scale fleet deployment, as well as expertise in supply chain management and manufacturing at scale.
In a joint statement provided by both companies on Monday, the partnership was described as “one of the industry’s most ambitious efforts to scale autonomous mobility.”
WeRide CEO and founder Tony Han explained the importance of autonomous mobility, stating:
“Autonomous driving is entering a critical phase of commercial deployment, with industry competition shifting from pure technological capability to cost efficiency and scalable deployment.”
China already accounts for a significant portion of the overall market share for autonomous vehicles. Several key players, including WeRide and rival provider Pony.ai, operate robotaxi fleets in China that exceed 1,000 vehicles. Predictions suggest that robotaxis will make up a considerable proportion of the shared vehicle sector by 2035.
Chinese providers are increasingly looking to expand their autonomous efforts overseas. Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis are undergoing pilot testing in the UK capital through partnerships with Lyft and Uber. Additional providers such as Momenta, Pony.ai, and WeRide have their own pilots in various European cities. The U.S. has blocked Chinese robotaxi trials over concerns about national security, making Europe a strategic testbed for autonomous solutions.
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