Daimler is Beijing’s first automaker to gain road test licence for highly-automated vehicles

The German-based company, Daimler, has become Beijing’s first international automaker to receive a road test licence for highly-automated driving research vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz test vehicles will now begin road trials in the Chinese capital in an effort to perfect the technology. Having already obtained licences for the United States and Germany, Daimler has continued to develop automated driving technology all over the world.

In order to qualify for the licence, Mercedes-Benz vehicles were fitted with additional technical applications from Baidu Apollo. The test drivers then received extensive automated driver training at the National Pilot Zone for Intelligent Mobility.

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Head of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development China, Hans Georg Engel, said in a statement: “Backed by strong local partners, our R&D (research and development) in China results in concrete innovations that allow us to achieve sustainable development today and into the future.

“This expanded research into automated driving will provide a strong base for developing further automated driving technology that addresses the challenges posed by China’s unique traffic environment, in order to further ensure that our technology and products offer the safety and convenience our customers expect.”

Daimler’s local research and development efforts began in 2005 when the first localized Mercedes-Benz Research and Development China Centre in Beijing was opened. This allowed the company to gain an understanding of what their Chinese customers liked.

This news follows Daimler’s report that its June sales fell by 2.6% with 203,783 vehicles sold.