Closed-door seminar highlights China's push for autonomous delivery

The "Vehicle-Road-Cloud 50 Forum: Closed-Door Seminar on Autonomous Delivery" convened in Beijing this week, marking what experts called a pivotal moment for the sector.

Li Keqiang, a renowned academician, distinguished professor at Tsinghua University and chief scientist at the Intelligent Connected Vehicle Innovation Center of Western Science City, said autonomous delivery has reached a critical juncture for scaling and now serves as a lifeline of urban intelligent transportation.

Zhang Tao, also from Tsinghua University, predicted that by 2030 China could need one million autonomous delivery vehicles, potentially creating millions of technical jobs and transforming logistics from manual labor to intelligent operations.

Despite rapid development, experts said the industry still faces significant hurdles, including regulatory fragmentation and inconsistent safety standards. Participants at the forum called for a more comprehensive approach — including legal clarity, local empowerment and standardized practices — to ensure safety and spur innovation.

Several companies also advocated for self-regulation in key areas such as vehicle design and cloud monitoring to help optimize resource use and streamline operations.

Wang Xiaojing, chief scientist at the National Intelligent Transport Systems Engineering Technology Research Center, emphasized the need to align central government policies with local pilot programs to drive breakthroughs and ensure high-quality industry development.

The National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Green Vehicles and Transportation at Tsinghua University and the Intelligent Connected Vehicle Innovation Center of Western Science City will jointly release the Final-Mile Autonomous Delivery Commercialization Report in September. The report is being developed in collaboration with several leading industry players, including Meituan, Zelos, Neolix Autonomous Vehicle and Trunk.