Shanghai Goes All-In on Autonomous Driving, Targeting Full Pudong Coverage by 2025

Shanghai is making a massive bet on autonomous driving, with plans to open nearly all of its sprawling Pudong New Area to driverless vehicles by the end of 2025.

The announcement, a major headline from the recent 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2025), signals a dramatic acceleration in the city’s ambition to become a global leader in intelligent transport.

This isn’t just talk. We’re talking about tangible milestones that put Shanghai at the forefront of the self-driving car race.

The Big News: Shanghai’s Autonomous Driving Roadmap

Han Dadong, a key official from the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology (SHEITC), dropped the details in an interview with ThePaper.cn.

Here’s the game plan:

• Pudong New Area (Pudong Xinqu 浦东新区): The goal is to achieve full coverage for autonomous driving test roads by the end of this year.
• Simultaneous Expansion: Efforts are also underway to open up zones in Fengxian (Fengxian District 奉贤区) and Minhang (Minhang District 闵行区).

This systematic expansion shows a clear, strategic push to integrate this tech into the city’s fabric.

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Who Got the Keys? Major Players Secure “Driverless” Licenses

The WAIC 2025 event wasn’t just for announcements. It was also a day for handing out hardware—or in this case, a new batch of intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) operation licenses.

This is a huge deal because these licenses are the first to allow for “driverless in the main seat” operations.

Previously, every single autonomous vehicle in Shanghai required a human safety driver behind the wheel.

Not anymore.

The first eight companies to get this next-level clearance include some of the biggest names in the space:

• Pony.ai (Xiaoma Yixing Keji (Shanghai) 小马易行科技(上海)有限公司)
• Baidu Apollo (Baidu Zhixing Keji (Shanghai) 百度智行科技(上海)有限公司)
• SAIC Mobility (Saike Xineng Keji (Shanghai) 赛可智能科技(上海)有限公司)
• Shanghai Qiangsheng Taxi (Shanghai Qiangsheng Chuzu Qiche 上海强生出租汽车有限公司)
• Shanghai UD Smart Ride (Shanghai Youdao Zhitu Keji 上海友道智途科技有限公司)

These licenses cover two key business models: intelligent ride-hailing (robotaxis) and intelligent freight transport (robotrucks).

This move is backed by new local laws, specifically the “Regulations on Promoting Innovation and Application of Driverless Intelligent Connected Vehicles in Pudong New Area,” pushing Shanghai into a new phase of large-scale, normalized AV operations.

Shanghai’s “Model Speed” Plan for 2027

• L4 Autonomous Vehicle Passenger Trips: Over 6 million trips
• Open Test Roads Expansion: Over 5,000 kilometers (from current 2,700 km)
• New Vehicles with L2/L3 AD Functions: Over 90% of new vehicles sold
• Total Open AV Testing Area: 2,000 square kilometers

The city isn’t just thinking about next year. They’ve laid out a wildly ambitious plan called the “Model Speed Intelligent Travel Action Plan” (Mo Su Zhi Xing Xingdong Jihua 模速智行行动计划).

The goals for 2027 are staggering:

• Over 6 million passenger trips completed by L4 autonomous vehicles (that’s full self-driving under specific conditions).
• Expand open test roads to over 5,000 kilometers. For context, the city is already at an impressive 2,700 kilometers.
• Over 90% of new vehicles sold will be equipped with L2 and L3 autonomous driving functions.

This isn’t just about testing a few cars; it’s about fundamentally changing how the city moves and creating a massive market for AV technology.

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The Fine Print: Where You Can (and Can’t) Go Driverless

While “full coverage” sounds amazing, there are some practical limits.

Han Dadong clarified the specifics of the rollout.

Pudong New Area: Almost Everything is Fair Game

The plan for Pudong is indeed full coverage by year-end, but with one major exception: hyper-congested core areas like Lujiazui (Lujiazui 陆家嘴) will be excluded.

This makes sense. Throwing developing AV tech into the city’s most chaotic traffic zones right away is a recipe for disaster.

Minhang & Fengxian: A More Strategic Rollout

The approach for other districts is more targeted.

• Minhang District: Key areas like the massive Hongqiao transportation hub (Hongqiao Shuniu 虹桥枢纽) will be opened up. Even though Minhang doesn’t have a big AV industry ecosystem yet, opening the hub is a strategic move to connect different test zones and tackle real-world logistics challenges.
• Fengxian District: This area will see a slower rollout, with no full-area opening planned yet, simply because there are fewer current applications for the technology there.

The Bottom Line on Shanghai’s Driverless Future

Shanghai is putting its foot on the gas. The master plan is to expand the total open AV testing area to 2,000 square kilometers with 5,000 kilometers of open roads by 2027.

By issuing licenses for truly driverless operations and setting aggressive, data-backed targets, the city is building an unmatched environment for AV companies to test, scale, and commercialize.

Keep your eyes on this space. The race for global leadership in Shanghai autonomous driving is heating up, and the city is making a powerful claim for the top spot.

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References

• Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information Technology: Strive for full opening of Pudong self-driving within the year, excluding areas such as Lujiazui – ThePaper.cn
• ThePaper.cn (澎湃新闻)
• World Artificial Intelligence Conference Official Website