China's Autonomous Driving competition is spreading from robotaxis that carry people to robovans (Robovan, unmanned delivery vehicles) that transport logistics. With more than 30,000 unmanned delivery vehicles already operating in China, competition is heating up as even major platform corporations, including Momenta, a Chinese Autonomous Driving startup that partners with Hyundai Motor, jump into the robovan business.
According to Momenta on the 28th, the company recently launched its robovan business in Xiangcheng District, Suzhou, Jiangsu province. As the first new business unveiled since its listing on the Hong Kong stock market this month, the company plans to deploy unmanned delivery vehicles to logistics sites around the clock to target "last-mile" delivery in urban logistics.
Momenta applied its in-house "R7 World Model (AI technology that learns how the real world works to predict the future)," previously used for passenger-car Autonomous Driving, to robovans as well. In particular, it used "mapless" technology that does not rely on high-definition maps. The company plans to build an Autonomous Driving platform based on a single world model that spans passenger cars, robotaxis, robovans, and robotrucks.
A Momenta official said, "The number of mass-produced vehicles equipped with our Autonomous Driving system has surpassed 1 million," adding, "We plan to advance our delivery algorithms based on more than 12 billion kilometers of real-world driving data and over 100 million key data points collected in the process."
China's unmanned delivery market has already entered the commercialization stage. According to a report recently released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP), as of the end of last year, more than 33,000 unmanned delivery vehicles were in operation in China. Annual shipments surged from 6,000 units in 2024 to 12,000 units in the first half of 2025. The report projected that by 2030, annual production and sales of unmanned delivery vehicles in China will expand more rapidly to 860,000 units, with more than 2 million in operation.
Specialized robovan companies hold the lead in the market. Chinese startup Zelos (九识智能) operates about 25,000 vehicles as of the first quarter of this year, capturing a 52% market share. Next, Neolix (新石器) operates about 17,000 vehicles, securing a market share in the 30% range.
Major platform corporations are also jumping into the competition one after another. Cainiao, Alibaba's logistics affiliate, invested equity in Zelos early this year and integrated its Autonomous Driving business. The two companies are jointly operating the "Cainiao Robovan" brand. The strategy is to speed up business expansion by combining Alibaba's vast logistics network with the expertise of a robovan specialist. JD.com (京东) and Meituan (美团) are also expanding the operation of unmanned delivery vehicles while continuing related technology development.
Falling component prices are cited as a reason behind the accelerating commercialization of unmanned delivery in China. According to Chinese business outlet 21st Century Business Herald, the price of lidar used in mass-producing robovans has dropped from about 100,000 yuan (about 21.71 million won) initially to the several-thousand-yuan range now. As a result, vehicle prices have fallen by about 80% over two years.
Because of this, the local industry views robovans, which run slowly on fixed routes, as having an advantage in commercialization over robotaxis that carry passengers. In China, unmanned delivery operates in a system where a courier loads items onto a robovan at a logistics hub, the robovan moves to the delivery area, and then an on-site courier handles final delivery. This structure can reduce couriers' travel time and improve delivery efficiency.
However, some say regulatory improvements are needed for the market to expand further. China currently lacks a nationwide product certification and licensing system for unmanned delivery vehicles, so different regulations are applied by local governments. 21st Century Business Herald noted, "As a result, corporations must obtain separate operating permits each time they enter a new city," adding, "However, there is a strong possibility that a unified national standard and certification system will be established within the next three years."