Autonomous driving firm DeepRoute.ai plans to launch robotaxi services with consumer-grade production vehicles by the end of the year. The autonomous driving tech firm intends to roll out robotaxis built on the same platform that currently supports around 150,000 assisted-driving vehicles across China.
DeepRoute.ai has secured over $500 million in investments from major firms such as Alibaba and Great Wall Motor.
The company aims to cut expenses by embedding its autonomous driving systems directly into vehicles during manufacturing. The firm also emphasized its map-free navigation system, which removes the need for expensive high-definition map licenses and their continuous upkeep. This vehicle production strategy enables a faster expansion into new cities, as it eliminates the lengthy mapping process typically required.
“A key strength of DeepRoute.ai’s approach is that its robotaxi platform and mass-produced vehicles are built on the same core technology framework, enabling a high level of consistency and seamless platform interoperability,” DeepRoute.ai CEO Maxwell Zhou said.
DeepRoute.ai regularly trials its technology in various urban environments to accelerate the deployment of production-ready autonomous features for consumer vehicles. The company noted that there is a significant global potential for robotaxi services, identifying Europe, Japan, and South Korea as key target markets.
DeepRoute.ai’s cost-efficient hardware strategy is seen as advantageous for these regions, with Europe dealing with increasing labor expenses and evolving regulations, while Japan and South Korea face aging populations and shortages of drivers. To support localization and strengthen partnerships, the company is also establishing an operational presence in Europe.
Earlier this year, DeepRoute.ai launched DeepRoute IO 2.0, its newest intelligent driving platform built on a Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model.
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