CaoCao Inc. officially launched driverless Robotaxi testing without a safety driver behind the wheel on July 27, marking a substantive step toward autonomous operations. The testing will take place in Hangzhou’s Binjiang District under real-world urban traffic conditions, using a station-triggered dispatch mechanism to validate operational stability and service reliability on a limited scale. This transition from safety-driver-assisted models to driverless operations represents a critical phase in CaoCao’s commercialization strategy for its autonomous mobility services.

The initiative relies heavily on the CaoCao Zhixing RAS Remote Safety Service Platform, which serves as the cloud-based safety and operations hub for the Robotaxi business. The platform performs key functions including continuous safety monitoring, emergency call response, real-time remote assistance, and incident handling. By connecting all participating vehicles to this system, CaoCao ensures that safety remains the top priority while validating the technical feasibility of unsupervised driving in complex urban environments.

Regulatory Milestones and Fleet Deployment

In April this year, CaoCao became the first company in Hangzhou approved to conduct road testing of intelligent connected vehicles without onboard safety drivers. This regulatory clearance paved the way for the current testing phase. The Company has deployed a fleet of around 100 Robotaxis in Hangzhou to support these operations. Additionally, the world’s first Green Intelligent Mobility Hub has entered operation in the city. This facility integrates automated battery swapping, automated cleaning, and vehicle preparation, providing the necessary infrastructure to support large-scale fleet operations.

Strategic Integration and Future Outlook

As the primary commercialization platform for Geely Holding Group’s RoboX strategy, CaoCao is advancing autonomous driving services through an integrated model built around intelligent purpose-built vehicles, intelligent driving technologies, and intelligent operations. In terms of technology, CaoCao adopts an end-to-end large model architecture, leveraging data-driven approaches and model optimization to enhance perception, decision-making, and planning capabilities in complex urban scenarios.

The Company has been deeply involved in the product definition and development of Eva Cab, China’s first purpose-built Robotaxi developed from the ground up. The vehicle has been officially unveiled and is scheduled for mass production in 2027, supporting the large-scale commercial deployment of Robotaxi services worldwide. Looking ahead, CaoCao will continue testing and validating Robotaxi services in more cities and complex scenarios. Leveraging its mobility service network and operational expertise, the Company aims to accelerate the transition of Robotaxis from technical validation to commercial deployment at scale, building a globally leading physical AI mobility technology platform.

CaoCao appointed Joseph Sifakis, a Turing Award laureate and renowned AI scientist, as Chief Scientific Advisor of the CaoCao AI Innovation Center on June 29. He will provide core academic support and strategic roadmap guidance for CaoCao’s transformation into an AI-native company. This appointment marks Sifakis’s first in-depth involvement in shaping the AI strategy of a Chinese technology company.

Professor Sifakis is a pioneer in trustworthy artificial intelligence and complex systems. His research focuses on the safety, reliability, and verifiability of complex intelligent systems, with applications in aerospace and industrial control. His expertise aligns with CaoCao’s development needs for Robotaxi and autonomous driving technologies, offering theoretical guidance for building a physical AI mobility technology platform.

Shawn Gong, CEO of CaoCao, stated that the appointment reflects recognition from the international scientific community of CaoCao’s AI direction. He emphasized that the company will leverage world-class academic resources to strengthen its capabilities in AI and autonomous driving. The collaboration aims to reinforce the foundations of intelligent mobility development and accelerate the integration of AI with future mobility scenarios.

CaoCao recently launched its full-scale AI transformation and unveiled its RoboX strategy. The goal is to build a globally leading physical AI mobility technology platform and an intelligent mobility network. This network will span diverse applications, including Robotaxi and Robovan.

The RoboX ecosystem integrates intelligent purpose-built vehicles, intelligent driving technologies, and intelligent operations. CaoCao is accelerating the development of capabilities for large-scale autonomous driving operations through this full-capability, closed-loop system.