China Testing Self-Driving Vehicles on 16-mile Mountain Highway

Whether it be self-driving cars, shuttles or trucks, it seems like every city on the planet is testing some sort of autonomous vehicle. While China has been experimenting with all types of new tech, driverless vehicles have taken a bit of a backseat. A new partnership in the country is looking to change that in a big way.

The country has dedicated a 16 mile mountainous stretch of highway in the eastern Shandong province for testing connected, self-driving vehicles. This is a result of a partnership between Huawei Technologies and China Mobile along with the province’s Qilu Transportation Development Group.

Testing Self-Driving Cars in Shandong Mountains

The mountain highway includes three tunnels, toll stations, and a bridge, which will allow for a wide range of self-driving scenarios to be tested. They’ll also be testing things like road sensors, laser and microwave radars, and panoramic video. In addition, they’ll be experimenting with weather monitoring stations and traffic signs that can communicate directly with vehicles.

By 2023, the partnership plans to build a formal research and development center in the region. Along with driverless tech, they will also explore things like smart infrastructure and new energy.

Check out our articles on self-driving trucks in Arizona and McDonald’s robots.