BUSINESS

Robotaxi Crash in Hunan Stokes Fears of Regulatory Backlash

Published: Dec. 9, 2025 3:23 a.m. GMT+8

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A video circulating online shows the vehicle involved in the accident bearing the words “Hello Autonomous Driving,” with residents and police officers attempting to lift the car to rescue an injured person trapped underneath. Photo: Internet

An accident involving a robotaxi in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, has rattled China’s autonomous vehicle industry, reigniting fears of tighter regulation just as the sector was regaining traction after a prolonged regulatory lull.

The Dec. 6 crash involved a self-driving taxi branded “Hello Autonomous Driving.” Video footage circulating online showed a person trapped beneath the vehicle as bystanders and police attempted to lift the car. Two people were injured and taken to a local hospital, according to media reports.

An industry insider said it may be the first known serious injury-causing accident involving a robotaxi in China.

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A robotaxi accident in Zhuzhou, Hunan on Dec. 6, 2024 caused two injuries and is the first such serious incident reported in China.
The crash may lead to tighter regulations, jeopardizing recent easing of rules on autonomous vehicles; authorities asked all operators to report system safety.
Hello Inc., backed by Ant Group, CATL, and Alibaba, operates robotaxis using Baidu’s technology and aims to deploy over 50,000 vehicles by 2027.

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Who’s Who

Hello Inc.: Hello Inc., known for its bike-sharing services, entered the robotaxi market in June with a 3 billion yuan investment toward Level 4 autonomous driving. They operate in Zhuzhou and Liyang, aiming for 50,000 vehicles by 2027. Their robotaxis, which resemble Baidu's models, are reportedly based on Baidu's self-driving technology. A recent accident in Zhuzhou involving one of their robotaxis and resulting in injuries has prompted authorities to demand incident response reports from all robotaxi operators.

Shanghai Zaofu Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd.: Co-founded by Hello Inc., Shanghai Zaofu Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. was launched in June to enter the robotaxi space. Backed by Ant Group Co. Ltd. and CATL, and later by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., it pledged over 3 billion yuan ($424 million) towards Level 4 autonomous driving. The company aims to mass-produce robotaxis by 2026 and deploy over 50,000 vehicles by 2027.

Ant Group Co. Ltd.: Ant Group Co. Ltd. backed the establishment of Shanghai Zaofu Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. by Hello Inc. This new entity aims to develop Level 4 autonomous driving technology, with a pledged investment exceeding 3 billion yuan ($424 million).

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL): Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) is a Chinese company that backed Hello Inc.'s robotaxi venture, pledging over 3 billion yuan for Level 4 autonomous driving development. Following a robotaxi accident, CATL stated it is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the robotaxi business.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. provided strategic investment to Shanghai Zaofu Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd., a company launched by Hello Inc. with support from Ant Group Co. Ltd. and CATL, for the development of Level 4 autonomous driving in the robotaxi sector.

Baidu Inc.: Baidu Inc. is providing self-driving technology to Hello Inc. for their robotaxi operations. Hello's robotaxi, involved in a recent crash, closely resembles Baidu's sixth-generation robotaxi model used in its Apollo Go service. Hello also purchased a batch of robotaxis from Baidu. Baidu did not comment on the recent accident.

General Motors Co.: General Motors Co. is mentioned in the context of its subsidiary, Cruise LLC. Cruise LLC was involved in a high-profile robotaxi accident in San Francisco in October 2023, where a pedestrian was dragged by one of its vehicles. This incident led to U.S. regulators penalizing Cruise, and GM subsequently suspended Cruise's commercial operations and halted future R&D funding for the subsidiary in December 2024.

Cruise LLC: Cruise LLC, a subsidiary of General Motors Co., was involved in a serious accident in San Francisco in October 2023. A pedestrian, struck by another car, was thrown into the path of a Cruise robotaxi. Though the Cruise vehicle braked, it ran over the victim and dragged her several meters before pulling over. The woman died from her injuries. This incident led to U.S. regulators penalizing Cruise for initially failing to disclose that its vehicle dragged the victim. Subsequently, GM suspended Cruise's commercial operations and, in December 2024, decided to halt future R&D funding for the subsidiary.

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What Happened When

October 2023：: A pedestrian was hit by another car and thrown into the path of a Cruise robotaxi in San Francisco. The Cruise vehicle braked but ran over the victim and dragged her several meters. The woman later died, and U.S. regulators penalized Cruise for initially failing to disclose the incident.

Mid-2024：: A 'policy cooling-off period' began in the Chinese autonomous vehicle industry amid public debate over the displacement of human drivers.

December 2024：: GM announced it would halt future R&D funding for its Cruise subsidiary following the San Francisco accident.

June 2025：: Hello Inc. announced its entry into the robotaxi sector, establishing Shanghai Zaofu Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. with support from Ant Group and CATL, pledging over 3 billion yuan for Level 4 autonomous driving development.

September 2025：: Hello Inc. announced its first mass-production-ready robotaxi model and stated its intention to start production in 2026, targeting more than 50,000 vehicles deployed by 2027.

As of 2025：: Some major Chinese cities had begun easing restrictions on robotaxi operations following the prior regulatory lull.

December 6, 2025：: A Hello autonomous robotaxi was involved in a crash in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, injuring two people and reigniting regulatory fears in China's autonomous vehicle industry.

AI generated, for reference only