A Solar-Powered Driverless Car is Coming to China

November 13, 2015

No workers, no problem, according to Chinese real estate development company Vanke, who is working on driverless cars and robots to address labor shortage problems.

The company has just finished testing a self-driving patrol car and will introduce a floor-sweeping robot later this month, according to Reuters.

Vanke’s driverless car can seat six and can run for up to 22 miles per hour. It is guided by GPS and magnets placed along a fixed route.

The car is powered through solar panels, with a full charge enough for one day’s use. A radar at the front of the vehicle can detect obstacles and trigger the car the stop.

Zhang Jinming, the project’s supervisor, told Reuters:

“We hope it can also solve issues that come along with normal cars. First of all, it is safer. It will not cause accidents that are due to human errors, such as having drivers who are drunk or sleepy. Secondly, it can save labor costs. We hope it can become the future of transportation in housing estates.”

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