WeRide brings latest self-driving vehicle to Singapore, likely for use as Punggol shuttles
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
A WeRide autonomous vehicle was seen being transported on the bed of a tow truck in Jalan Bahar on Aug 28.
PHOTO: ST READER
Follow topic:
- Autonomous shuttles are expected to be rolled out in Punggol by Q4, with WeRide's latest five-seater GXR vehicles potentially being used.
- The Guangzhou-based company said it has brought the vehicles to Singapore as part of a partnership with a “leading regional mobility provider”.
- MOT is also said to be in talks with autonomous vehicle companies like Pony.ai, as well as potential operators including ComfortDelGro and Grab.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Autonomous driving technology company WeRide has brought its latest five-seater self-driving vehicles into Singapore – likely for use as community shuttles that will ply fixed routes within Punggol in a couple of months’ time.
This is in line with what Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said in June
WeRide, which is headquartered in Guangzhou, confirmed the arrival of its new autonomous vehicles, after one of them was seen being transported on the bed of a tow truck in Jalan Bahar on Aug 28.
Called GXRs, the vehicles are already operating as robotaxis in cities like Beijing and Abu Dhabi. They were developed for mass production with Geely-owned Chinese commercial vehicle maker Farizon.
The Straits Times understands that WeRide is one of the autonomous vehicle manufacturers that the Ministry of Transport (MOT) has been in talks with to roll out self-driving shuttles in Punggol.
This is in addition to the self-driving eight-seater bus that WeRide already operates in the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort, which got the green light in July to run without safety personnel on board
In response to queries, the Land Transport Authority said more details on the deployment of autonomous shuttles here will be shared later.
Asked about the intended use of the vehicles in Singapore, a WeRide spokesperson said only that this is part of a partnership that the firm has with a “leading regional mobility provider”.
WeRide was one of four autonomous vehicle companies that signed an agreement with ride-hailing giant Grab in March to explore the use of self-driving technology in South-east Asia.
On Aug 15, Grab announced an undisclosed investment in WeRide as part of a strategic partnership to accelerate the roll-out of robotaxis and self-driving shuttles in the region.
Neither company would comment specifically about how this investment relates to their plans in Singapore.
ST understands that MOT has also been in talks with another Chinese company, Pony.ai, about supplying vehicles for the upcoming Punggol shuttle service. The Guangzhou-based robotaxi outfit declined comment.
Since March, ComfortDelGro has been working with Pony.ai on a two-year robotaxi trial in Guangzhou. It has since been reported that Pony.ai is planning robotaxi trials in Singapore in collaboration with the transport giant.
Public transport operator SMRT, which invested in WeRide in 2022, has also said it is exploring the launch of autonomous shuttle services in one of the housing estates here by early 2026.
This is likely to be Tengah, which is the next location that MOT has in mind.
Mr Siow had announced plans to roll out self-driving vehicles in Punggol during a June visit to Guangzhou, where he toured WeRide’s and Pony.ai’s facilities and rode on some of their vehicles.
The acting minister said at the time that MOT and potential operators were discussing what type of autonomous vehicles could be brought into Singapore as quickly as possible.
“We may well be looking at bringing in MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles) first,” Mr Siow added, noting then that the technology for self-driving cars is more developed than for self-driving buses.
During the same visit, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said MOT was considering a couple of initial routes in Punggol for the autonomous shuttle roll-out.
The MP for Punggol GRC said this was based on feedback from residents, who asked for better connectivity between the western and eastern parts of the town, and more convenient access to amenities such as the polyclinic and bus interchange.
Mr Siow and Ms Sun said in June that the self-driving community shuttles will be phased in, operating first without any passengers, until residents and road users are comfortable with the vehicles.
Additionally, a safety officer will be on board the vehicle to step in when needed, although this role will eventually be removed and replaced by a remote operator.
