WeRide, a global leader in autonomous driving technology, has received approval to conduct late-night testing of its Robotaxi on public roads within the Beijing High-Level Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone from 10pm to 7am. This milestone marks a crucial step for WeRide in building a 24/7 autonomous ride-hailing network in Beijing, laying the groundwork for all-weather, all-day autonomous mobility services.
Beijing’s complex night-time road conditions, characterized by low lighting, environmental interference, and heavy rain in the summer and snow in the winter, pose significant challenges for autonomous driving systems. These conditions place heightened demand on the perception, decision-making, and control capabilities, especially in maintaining effective sensor fusion between LiDAR and cameras under low-light conditions, accurately identifying pedestrians at night, and executing timely responses.
To address potential visibility issues at night, WeRide’s Robotaxi is equipped with more than 20 sensors, including high-precision, high-dynamic cameras and high-line LiDARs across the vehicle. Combined with its proprietary multi-sensor fusion algorithm and HPC high-performance computing platform, the system achieves 360-degree blind-spot-free coverage of up to 200 meters detection range. This ensures stable perception and rapid decision-making even under poor lighting or adverse weather, enabling safe, continuous night-time operations.
Extreme weather conditions such as rain, dust, and heavy snow pose challenges to autonomous driving stability as well. WeRide utilizes automotive-grade sensors, stringent assembly processes, and a self-developed smart sensor cleaning system that detects dirt and moisture and triggers automatic cleaning — ensuring accurate, reliable perception in all environmental conditions.
As a global leader in Robotaxi area, WeRide has conducted Robotaxi testing or operations in 10 cities across four countries, accumulating over 2,200 days of open-road safe experience. In May 2025, WeRide launched China’s first 24/7 autonomous ride-hailing network in a Tier-1 city, Guangzhou, gaining extensive full-day, all-scenario operational experience.
SOURCE: WeRide
