How to Ride a Driverless Robotaxi in Shenzhen

The quick answer

Yes — in Shenzhen you can hail a taxi with no driver today. Many cars run with an empty driver's seat, and sometimes with no safety operator on board at all. This is a regulated, commercial Level-4 pilot, not a one-off demonstration, and ordinary visitors can book it.

Which operators, where

• Pony.ai (小马智行) operates in Nanshan, Qianhai, Shenzhen Bay and parts of Bao'an and Futian. Its app is the most friendly to international users, supporting passport registration and international phone numbers — usually the best first choice for a visitor.
• Baidu Apollo Go (萝卜快跑) operates mainly in Nanshan and Pingshan. In Pingshan it has more than 12,000 pickup and drop-off stops covering the high-speed rail station and the district centre, and it also runs in parts of Bao'an and Qianhai. Hours are roughly 07:00–23:00. You can book through the Apollo Go app, its WeChat mini-program or Baidu Maps.
• OnTime (如祺出行) covers Qianhai, Yuehai in Nanshan and the Bao'an airport area. WeRide also runs autonomous services in the city.

Coverage by district

Robotaxis don't yet cover the whole city. Service is limited to designated zones, and pickup and drop-off use fixed virtual stops rather than your exact door. Always check the in-app map before you rely on one. Business districts, technology parks and major transport hubs are well covered, and the zones keep expanding.

Before you start

• Install the app (Pony.ai or Apollo Go) or open the WeChat mini-program.
• A phone number is required. Apollo Go commonly expects a Chinese number plus real-name verification; Pony.ai is more open to international numbers and passports.
• Link a payment method — Alipay or WeChat, including the international Tour Card — or pay in the app.
• Be ready to walk to a numbered virtual stop, which may be a short distance from where you're standing.

Riding step by step

1. Open the app and confirm your pickup point and destination are inside the service area.
2. Choose from the fixed pickup and drop-off stops.
3. Request the trip; the system assigns the nearest car. If no car is available — it happens occasionally — simply retry.
4. Walk to the numbered stop and match the number plate when the car arrives.
5. Verify by entering the last digits of the phone number you booked with on the door pillar.
6. Sit down, fasten your seatbelt and tap "start trip" on the rear screen.
7. Ride; use the on-board support button if you need help, and don't touch the driving controls.
8. The trip ends automatically at the drop-off point, after which you pay and can rate the ride.

The hard part for foreigners

The friction isn't the technology — it's the setup: Chinese phone-number and real-name rules, Chinese-only mini-programs, fixed virtual stops and maps. A local guide gets you registered, walks you to the correct stop and has you riding within minutes. That setup is built into our tours.

What the ride feels like

The driving is smooth, cautious and defensive. A sensor rack sits on the roof, the rear screen shows what the car perceives around it, and it handles rain and rush-hour traffic. The slightly strange part is simply that nobody is driving.

FAQ

Do I need a driving licence? No — you're a passenger, not a driver.

Is it safe? These are regulated Level-4 pilots with remote support on hand.

How much does it cost? Fares are similar to or a little below an ordinary taxi for short trips.

Is every car fully driverless? The app indicates the type; many Shenzhen rides are fully driverless, while some still carry a safety operator.

Can I get one from the airport? There is some airport-area coverage through OnTime; check the current map, as it changes.