Self-Driving Cargo Delivery Van Launches in China

Chinese logistics company Cainiao has unveiled the GT Pro, its latest self-driving delivery vehicle designed to be used on public roads. 

The Hangzhou-based firm, part of the giant Alibaba e-commerce empire, said the GT Pro constitutes a significant upgrade on the GT model, which was introduced last year and is in use in more than 10 provinces across China.

According to Cainiao, the GT Pro brings “significant improvements in… design, range, algorithm optimization and interactive features.”

At 12 feet in length, the GT Pro is similar in length to some of the smaller passenger cars available in Europe and Japan, such as the Toyota Aygo X and Suzuki Ignis, while in terms of height it measures seven feet. Width-wise, it’s comparatively narrow at four feet.

The dimensions help provide a cargo space of 176 cubic feet, which affords the capacity to carry between 600 and 800 parcels per trip. The range is impressive, at 110 miles.

Among the technology upgrades is a more comprehensive sensor suite, which now incorporates one lidar sensor and 11 high-definition cameras. According to Cainiao, this results in superior environmental perception, meaning improved autonomous Level 4 functionality.

The GT Pro is also following the trend of other automated vehicles, such as the Mercedes models fitted with Drive Pilot ‘hands-off’ tech in Nevada and California, by using distinctive, colored lighting to make other road users and pedestrians aware of its status.

Related:Mercedes Self-Driving Vehicles Get Turquoise Lights

Operators can manage the AV by app, and the GT Pro offers a simple process for those waiting to collect deliveries, with text notifications when in the vicinity. Recipients access their parcel in the cargo space by inputting a code on a keyboard  on the side of the AV.

There is little chance of bad weather delaying deliveries, with the GT Pro designed to operate in all conditions.

Over the past decade, Cainiao said it has completed 2 million miles using AVs on closed and public roads, delivering more than 40 million parcels in that timeframe. 

However, the GT launched last year marked a significant step forward for the company’s autonomous program, operating in provinces such as Zhejiang, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Anhui and Jiangsu, and the expectation is the GT Pro can continue the expansion across China.

Longer term, Cainiao said it plans to ditch the usage of high-precision mapping, and is also looking at supermarket deliveries as well as developing more customized versions of the GT Pro.