China initiates pilot project for integrated vehicle-road-cloud applications in intelligent connected vehicles

Beijing (Gasgoo)- On January 17, China's Ministries of Industry and Information Technology, Public Security, Transport, Natural Resources, and Housing jointly issued a notice titled "Notice on Conducting Pilot Projects for the Application of 'Vehicle- Road-Cloud Integration' in Intelligent Connected Vehicles." 

The announcement outlines a comprehensive pilot program scheduled to run from 2024 to 2026, focusing on the integration of vehicle-road-cloud infrastructure to advance the country's autonomous driving industry.

The notice, primarily centered around urban areas, specifies nine key pilot initiatives aimed at addressing challenges in the intelligent connected vehicle sector and propelling the development of China's autonomous driving industry into a new era.

The outlined initiatives encompass the construction of intelligent roadside infrastructure, achieving complete coverage of 5G communication networks in pilot areas, deploying C-V2X infrastructure like LTE-V2X direct communication roadside units (RSUs), and revamping traffic signals and signs for enhanced connectivity. The plan emphasizes the deployment of roadside sensing devices and edge computing systems (MEC) at key intersections and road segments to facilitate seamless integration with city-level platforms, exploring innovative development models such as multi-pole integration and multi-sensor integration.

Additionally, the pilot program aims to increase the installation rate of in-vehicle terminals. It outlines strategies to gradually enhance the connectivity rate of vehicles, with 100% of the pilot vehicles equipped with C-V2X in-vehicle terminals and digital vehicle identity certificate carriers. The plan encourages retrofitting existing public vehicles, including buses, government vehicles, and taxis, with C-V2X in-vehicle terminals, aiming for a 50% installation rate in new vehicles with L2 or higher autonomous driving capabilities. The program also supports the interoperability of in-vehicle terminals with city-level platforms.

Furthermore, the initiative encourages large-scale demonstration applications within designated areas, including scenarios like smart public transportation, intelligent passenger vehicles, automated parking, urban logistics, and automated delivery. It proposes specific targets such as achieving networked recognition and autonomous driving on selected bus routes, deploying at least 200 smart passenger vehicles for smart passenger vehicle pilot and some for unmanned driving demonstrations, upgrading at least 10 parking facilities for automated parking with no less than 30 parking spaces each, deploying city logistics vehicles for automated demonstration runs, and showcasing the collaborative autonomous driving capabilities of at least 200 low-speed unmanned vehicles. 

This comprehensive plan underscores China's commitment to shaping the future of intelligent transportation through innovative vehicle-road-cloud integration.