The first automated exclusive production line in China for low-speed four-wheel driverless cars has been launched at Shanghai Ecar Tech Co in Jiading District.

With an annual capacity of 10,000 driverless vehicles, the new production line will generate what is described by Bai Junbo, founder of Ecar Tech, as a “new quality productive force” in urban service sectors such as sanitation, deliveries and security patrols.

“A service-oriented driverless car could be a 24-hour non-stop ‘new quality productive force’ to work at different environments and in different weathers,” Bai said. “In essence, it is not only a technological breakthrough, but a reshaping of the future labor force.”

In the testing zone, some sanitation vehicles launched in March were being tested.

“The cars are capable in the entire sanitation process, such as task planning, cleaning, garbage dumping, water refilling and battery recharging. After being fully charged, it can work nonstop for six hours, with a capacity of cleaning 15,000 square meters per hour, equal to an efficiency of five or six sanitation workers working together,” Bai said.

The traditional main engine plant of driverless vehicle relies enormously on a huge supply chain and a serial manufacturing procedure.

In Ecar Tech, however, a standardized and modular manufacturing procedure has been applied, sharpening the company’s competitive edges.

“Leveraging standardized and modular production, we are able to design cars in different working scenarios quickly and cater to the needs of different customers,” Bai said.

A production circle of a new car model can be reduced to within four months and that of a tailor-made model within eight months.

Ecar Tech has also developed the world’s first unmanned vehicle chassis operation system for terminal scenario application. With both its software and hardware flexibly in control, the company is able to quicken its steps in vehicle function iteration.

“In this way Ecar Tech plays the role of an assembler, providing simple, efficient and reliable solutions for its customers from its diverse services and tech,” Bai said.

“The concept of ‘driverless’ should be simpler and more applicable in its essence.”

Ecar Tech has expanded its footprint to more than 60 cities in China, delivering more than 1,000 driverless vehicles with total mileage surpassing 8 million kilometers. Its sanitation and patrol cars have also been exported to Middle East countries and to South Korea.