Alibaba-financed AutoX wants to test self-driving cars without humans
AutoX, a startup flush with cash from China's Alibaba, would be only the second to test autonomous cars without any humans after Waymo.
The startup thinks it's ready to take the human out of the car.
Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo may have a new challenger that hails from China. AutoX, a startup with funding from Alibaba , has applied for a California permit to test autonomous cars in the state that do not feature a human backup driver, Reuters first reported on Wednesday.
Instead, the permit would allow AutoX to test the vehicles with a backup driver behind the scenes, so to speak, via remote control. Only Waymo currently holds this permit and has started to trial self-driven trips without any human backup drivers. AutoX, if granted permission, could quickly become a challenger.
AutoX isn't new to the scene and has tested in California for the past three years. The company's chief operating officer said its technology "can go in deep" and will be "safe for the public," in confirming its permit application with the publication.
According to the report, there are 60 companies that test self-driving cars in California with backup drivers. It's not clear if any other units are currently in the process of applying for and securing a permit to remove the human backup driver.
The move is obviously, a major step and vote of confidence in a company's technology. Waymo has been closest to launching a public ride-sharing service with its autonomous cars, which may now feature no human inside at all. The company still operates its service, called Waymo One, on an invite-only basis and it's still not ready for totally public trials.
Other companies have faced setbacks. General Motors said it would not commercialize its self-driving cars this year through its Cruise Automation division as it once said. Ford has also dialed back expectations for when its autonomous cars will be ready to deploy at a major scale.
