Self-driving car trials are gathering pace, showcasing the potential of AI to transform our city’s streets, from Tung Chung to West Kowloon
Hong Kong might not be racing to fill its streets with AI-powered self-driving cars with the alacrity of some other cities, but its cautious approach reflects a serious commitment to managing such transformative technology. Currently, the first public trials are under way, and they could soon become a familiar sight on our roads.
The list of companies operating AV fleets around the world is dizzyingly long. It includes most major carmakers as well as tech giants (Google’s Waymo is the leading player in the US, while Amazon’s Zoox has plans to expand its fleet and is racing to catch up) and specialist start-ups. Many of the latter are Chinese: the likes of DiDi, the nation’s leading ride-share operator; Hong Kong-based AutoX and Shenzhen-based DeepRoute.ai, which have both run trials in Shenzhen; and Guangzhou-based WeRide, which is running its third European trial, in Switzerland.
The most active, though, has been Baidu-owned Apollo Go, which operates in more than 10 Chinese cities, including a 500-car fleet introduced in Wuhan in 2024. The company is now testing 10 vehicles in 20 streets in Tung Chung.
