Lotus Robotics and CaoCao Mobility Unveil Autonomous Robotaxi System

Lotus Robotics and CaoCao Mobility introduce China's first fully integrated robotaxi system. Learn about its technology, real-world testing, and global rollout plans for 2025.

Lotus Robotics, the self-driving technology unit of British automaker Lotus, and Chinese ride-hailing platform CaoCao Mobility have kicked off a new era of autonomous transportation. The companies have launched China’s first fully integrated autonomous driving system, featuring custom-built vehicles, fully driverless operations, and automated fleet management.

The technology has already been successfully tested in Suzhou and Hangzhou, where autonomous vehicles covered 13,545 km without human intervention—a significant milestone proving the reliability of Lotus Robotics’ self-driving software. Now, the companies are refining their platform by integrating vehicle intelligence with road infrastructure. One of the key challenges being tackled is the unpredictability of pedestrian crossings, an issue that the system is already learning to handle.

At the core of the system are three key technological components. ROBO Soul is a full self-driving software stack providing up to Level 4 autonomy, meaning vehicles can handle tasks like highway driving and parking but allow for human override in specific scenarios. ROBO Galaxy offers cloud-based fleet management and data analytics tools to optimize efficiency, while ROBO Matrix provides real-time monitoring and AI-driven decision-making to enhance passenger safety.

One of the most exciting aspects of the technology is map-free navigation. The Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) feature enables vehicles to navigate urban environments without preloaded maps, execute lane changes, make U-turns at intersections, and avoid obstacles in real-time. This technology is already in use in China, with a global rollout expected in Q4 2025. However, the level of autonomy available in different regions will depend on local regulatory frameworks.

The Lotus Robotics and CaoCao Mobility project positions itself as a strong competitor against industry leaders such as Waymo, Cruise, and Baidu Apollo. However, scaling robotaxi services remains a significant challenge. The recent struggles of companies like Cruise highlight the difficulty of reaching profitability in this sector.

Despite these challenges, Lotus Robotics is not limiting itself to China. The company recently announced a partnership with Aramco Digital, which could pave the way for robotaxi deployments in the Middle East. Combined with Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure and advancing AI capabilities, Lotus Robotics is positioning itself as a serious contender in the autonomous mobility market.

The future of autonomous transportation is rapidly approaching. How quickly Lotus Robotics and CaoCao Mobility can turn their ambitious plans into reality remains to be seen.

Source: automotiveworld.com