China is currently showing how quickly automated driving technologies in freight transport can become established. While in Europe discussions about test sites and approvals are still taking place, trucks equipped with highly developed assistance systems are already rolling on Chinese highways every day. According to market research company IDTechEx, these vehicles together cover more than a million kilometers per day.
A Visit to Inceptio Technology
The analyst Shihao Fu from IDTechEx visited Inceptio Technology in Shanghai, which is regarded as one of the leading providers of autonomous truck systems in China. Inceptio has been working since 2021 on the serial production of its driving assistance system “Xuanyuan”, which according to international classification corresponds to Automation Level 2 plus. The system assists the driver in staying in lane, accelerating and braking on long-distance routes and can operate autonomously over large parts of the journey.
According to the company, the system is now installed in series-produced vehicles of several Chinese manufacturers, such as Dongfeng, Sinotruk and Foton. About half of the production of these models today is equipped with the technology. Inceptio estimates the cumulative autonomous driving distance of
these equipped vehicles at more than 300 million kilometers.
“Assist first, automate later”
The approach in China differs from many projects in Europe or the USA. While there, the development of fully autonomous systems is in the foreground, China relies on the gradual expansion of driver assistance functions. According to IDTechEx, the country follows the principle “Assist first, automate later.” This strategy enables broad adoption without having to wait for the breakthrough of fully driverless transport.
China’s political framework conditions and the high density of freight traffic favor this path. Government requirements are more flexible, and the pressure to increase efficiency in long-haul transport is high. This creates a market that provides real data from which manufacturers can further develop their systems.
Economic benefits for freight forwarders
For transport companies, the economic effects are central. Inceptio cites concrete figures: A fleet operator pays for the L2+ option about 100,000 Renminbi, equivalent to roughly 14,000 US dollars, in addition. Over the typical service life of a long-haul truck of four to six years, labor costs are expected to be reduced by about 40 percent.
According to the information,
the key lies in the changed deployment structure. On the roughly 800-kilometer route between Nanchang and Shanghai, tours that previously required two vehicles and four drivers could be operated with one truck and one driver. The driver-to-truck ratio halved from two-to-one to one-to-one, reducing labor costs by about 50 percent. On longer routes, for example from Guangzhou to Luohe in northern China, Inceptio introduced an automated relay model with a transfer hub in Wuhan. This reduced staffing needs from six to four drivers per trip.
In addition, the system reduces fuel consumption by about three percent and accidents by up to 94 percent, according to the company. According to IDTechEx, the system is active on highways for more than 90 percent of the driving time.
Impact on safety and insurance
According to IDTechEx, safety plays a central role in the acceptance of the technology. Chinese insurers, which traditionally report a loss rate of around 90 percent in the truck segment, report noticeably lower loss rates for fleets with Inceptio systems. According to the figures, the rate there is below ten percent. Even though the data base is
still limited, the insurance industry is beginning to view driver assistance systems as a tool for risk mitigation.
International Perspective
In the USA and Europe as well, manufacturers such as Aurora, Plus or TuSimple are working on autonomous commercial vehicles. But the difference lies in scale: while pilot projects are underway there, China with its series production and high daily mileage has already reached a level reminiscent of economically regular operation.
IDTechEx sees in this pragmatic approach a possible model for other markets. The data-driven expansion of assistance systems could pave the way for later full automation without waiting for lengthy regulatory processes.
Relevance for German transport operators
The developments in China show: automated driving functions can be established not only as a vision for the future but as a real economic factor. The decisive factor is the combination of serial production readiness, operational reliability and demonstrable savings. And IDTechEx wants to show, specifically using the example of Inceptio, that driver assistance in long-haul transport already today can make a measurable contribution to productivity and safety – a stepping stone that prepares the way for autonomous freight
