WeRide's autonomous driving vehicles in Switzerland. [Photo provided by WeRide]

Recently, WeRide, an autonomous driving company based in Beijing E-Town, received a fully driverless license from the Switzerland's Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). This license permits the company to conduct fully driverless operations on public roads in the Furttal area of the Swiss Canton of Zurich. This is the first fully driverless autonomous vehicle license issued in Switzerland.

According to the license, WeRide's autonomous vehicles will be a key part of the intelligent automated mobility (IAMO) pilot project, conducting fully driverless commercial operations.

The IAMO pilot project is led by the Swiss Transit Lab (STL) in collaboration with the Canton of Zurich, the Canton of Aargau, and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The project aims to integrate autonomous vehicles into the public transport system to improve local travel, enhance last-mile connectivity, and promote efficient and sustainable transportation. The operational area for the vehicles will cover approximately 110 kilometers, with around 460 stops along the route, and a maximum speed of up to 80 kilometers per hour.

With the issuance of this license, WeRide has become the only technology company in the world whose products hold autonomous driving licenses in eight countries: Switzerland, China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, France, Belgium, and the United States. This marks another significant milestone in the company's global strategic expansion. From Beijing E-Town to Zurich, and from road testing to commercial operations, "Beijing E-Town Smart Driving" is steadily becoming part of daily life in more cities worldwide.