Beijing unveils first enclosed testing center for self-driving vehicles

The test site, located in Haidian District, is the first enclosed testing field for self-driving research and development in China, covering an area of about 13.3 hectares.

The testing center, featuring complicated urban and rural road conditions, can imitate hundreds of typical traffic scenarios involving vehicles, pedestrians, bus stops, and construction areas. It offers testing and assessment services for passenger and autonomous vehicles.

“Autonomous vehicle tests have much higher requirements than getting a driving license,” said a technician of a carmaker testing its products.

In addition to basic driving skills, the vehicles must be able to recognize road and traffic signs, and must obey the traffic rules.

Autonomous vehicles built by Beijing Electric Vehicle Company, Foton, and Baidu have already started testing at the center.

However, insiders estimate that it is not possible for these vehicles to become fully autonomous in the near future.

It is reported that a larger enclosed testing site with more complex scenarios and more advanced technology is under construction and will be completed in June this year.