Robotaxi service: The transition and governance investigation in China

Abstract

The Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) views transition as a process resulting from the interaction of social and technological factors at different levels. With the MLP approach, the robotaxi service transition and governance driven by autonomous driving technologies are investigated based on the current development of China. We divide the transition of robotaxi service into four phases: The first phase (1991–2015) shielded the innovation of robotaxi by determining legal status; Governments, enterprises, universities, and industry consortia conduct autonomous driving trials and advance the adoption of technologies in the second phase (2016–2025); The third phase (2026–2035) would aim to tackle barriers in regulation, industry and public acceptance, and enhance competitiveness of the robotaxi to enter the market; The fourth phase (2036–2050) would form the robotaxi based service system. We found urbanization process and the innovation-driven economic shift, low-carbon development, and aging population have created a favorable landscape “pushing” for the development of robotaxi service. With the current transition in the second phase, the central government, local governments, and enterprises could tackle obstacles in regulation, economy, and public attitude to build a suitable environment for the robotaxi service development. Moreover, the robotaxi service towards the mobility as a service (MaaS) business model is also discussed to develop an integrated mobility ecosystem.