Shanghai's robotaxi options have expanded with a new autonomous vehicle service. On August 15, an intelligent connected vehicle demonstration operation project jointly developed by Mass Transportation Group and Baidu's intelligent driving technology officially launched in Shanghai's Pudong Jinqiao area. The first batch of vehicles deployed for demonstration operations includes 5 fifth-generation Luobo Kuaipao cars, operating with a regulatory-compliant driverless mode (meaning no safety drivers on board).
How do these vehicles perform in terms of safety, pricing, and riding experience? On August 18 afternoon, a test ride was conducted in the Jinqiao area. At the bus station on the east side of Jianing Road on Jingao Road, the Luobo Kuaipao mini-program was used to hail a ride. Unlike regular ride-hailing services, Luobo Kuaipao requires passengers to board and alight at designated fixed points. Currently, approximately 70 stations have been established in the Jinqiao area, with plans to gradually increase the number as operations expand.
After waiting about 5 minutes, a white BAIC ARCFOX vehicle marked with "Luobo Kuaipao," "Mass Transportation," and "Autonomous Driving Test" slowly approached and precisely stopped at the pickup point. Through the car windows, it was clearly visible that both the driver's seat and passenger seat were empty. Near the rear window, there's a touchscreen where passengers input the last four digits of their booking phone number to automatically unlock the doors.
After boarding and following in-car instructions to fasten the seatbelt, passengers click the "Depart" button on the in-vehicle screen, and the vehicle smoothly starts. The vehicle operates autonomously throughout the journey, braking smoothly before red lights, smoothly avoiding pedestrians and other vehicles, and making smooth turns at consistent speeds. However, under similar road conditions, Luobo Kuaipao vehicles travel slightly slower than human-driven vehicles.
Two display screens in the rear seats show real-time driving routes, driving scenarios, and passenger guidelines, while supporting personalized operations such as music playback and air conditioning temperature adjustment, providing passengers with a comfortable and convenient riding experience. As the destination approaches, the vehicle provides voice prompts for passengers to gather their belongings and prepare to exit, displaying rear traffic conditions on the screen to help passengers exit safely.
For the approximately 7.8-kilometer journey, the actual payment was 28.09 yuan. According to the service introduction, Luobo Kuaipao pricing is comparable to cruising taxis, with base fares starting from 13 yuan depending on time periods, including a base distance of 3.5 kilometers and 19 minutes of time; per-kilometer fees start from 2.3 yuan. Operating hours are weekdays from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with initial operations focused on approximately 25 square kilometers in Jinqiao's core area, gradually expanding to surrounding areas including Huamu and Zhangjiang.
As a local Shanghai transportation brand company, Mass Transportation Group actively responds to the municipal government's strategic deployment for intelligent connected vehicle industry development, continuously promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional transportation industries. As early as 2022, the group began deep cooperation with Baidu's intelligent driving division, becoming one of the early enterprises in the industry to engage in substantial operational exploration of intelligent connected vehicles. In April 2023, Mass Transportation and Baidu jointly received Shanghai's first batch of intelligent connected taxi demonstration operation certificates, conducting demonstration applications with safety drivers in the Jiading area, accumulating rich experience for the current driverless intelligent connected vehicle demonstration operations in Jinqiao.
In the future, Mass Transportation will cooperate with Baidu to advance intelligent connected vehicle demonstration operations in Pudong, Jiading, and other areas, leveraging service experience and management advantages in the taxi field to enrich intelligent connected vehicle transportation scenarios, such as opening short-distance shuttle services from subway stations to hospitals, meeting passenger travel demands.