It is possible to book selfdriving (driverless) robotaxis in Shenzhen:
As you can see, it does work and even handled unexpected situations in traffic:
How robotaxis work in Shenzhen
As of 2026 several companies run robotaxi fleets in Shenzhen. Pony.ai is the largest: in October 2025 it became the first operator to get a city-wide permit for fully driverless commercial service, with over a thousand cars concentrated in Nanshan (Qianhai and Houhai), Shenzhen Bay and Bao’an. Baidu Apollo Go covers Nanshan and Pingshan, roughly 07:00–23:00, and AutoX – whose headquarters are in Shenzhen – operates in Pingshan.
You book through the operator’s own app or WeChat mini-program (PonyPilot+ for Pony.ai, the Apollo Go app for Baidu), choose from fixed pick-up and drop-off points rather than any address, and pay in-app. Fares are around the level of a normal Didi, often less with introductory discounts.
The main catch for visitors is registration: the apps generally want a Chinese mobile number and real-name verification, so in practice you may need a local SIM or a resident friend’s help to try one. Once you are in a car it is a genuinely driverless ride – no safety driver – with a screen showing what the car sees and buttons to start the trip and pull over.