At 10 a.m. on July 23rd, an autonomous delivery van slowly entered Block B of Shiji Xindu Residential Community in Chaohu City. "Vehicle stopping, vehicle stopping, please ensure safety." It successfully parked within the pre-reserved spot at the ZTO Express service outlet in Shiji Xindu and completed precise package delivery. 

In recent days, Chaohu's first batch of driverless courier vehicles has become a unique sight on the streets, officially ushering in a new era where intelligent connected vehicles provide convenient and efficient express services to citizens.

Reporters learned from the Chaohu Municipal Transportation Bureau that the management of autonomous logistics vehicles currently follows national regulations. Unmanned vehicles in use in the Chaohu area must first obtain national usage permits for the relevant vehicles from the brand manufacturer. Only after joint approval by local industry and information technology departments and traffic management authorities can they be officially deployed.

A responsible person at the Comprehensive Transportation Section at Chaohu City Transportation Bureau explained that autonomous logistics vehicles are carriers equipped with self-driving capabilities. They represent an entirely new form of transportation emerging from trends in the intelligent connected vehicle sector. Compared to traditional road vehicles, they exhibit significant structural differences, encompassing heavy-duty transporters, micro and lightweight carriers, and miniature delivery robots. Each distinct vehicle type must possess authorization certificates issued by relevant national authorities.

Reporters also learned that the application of high technologies in the internet-connected automotive field will inevitably bring substantial changes to people's lives. Traditional logistics delivery models and consumer shopping patterns are being reshaped. With the accelerated advent of large-scale commercial use of unmanned delivery services, a smart delivery network characterized by broad coverage, mature mechanisms, and sustainable development will gradually take shape.

Currently, autonomous delivery vans in Chaohu are poised to enter a new phase of sustained development. Following the launch of ZTO Express's autonomous delivery fleet, other logistics companies like SF Express and JD.com are set to follow suit. According to applications submitted by express delivery firms to the transportation authorities, it is expected that around late July, SF Express Group's Anhui Region Chaohu Area will initiate trial operations of its autonomous delivery vehicles in Chaohu's townships first. This move aims to open up new pathways for achieving comprehensive coverage of express logistics services in these areas, thereby providing robust support for logistics development in rural regions.

Source: Hefei Daily