China's Didi approved to test autonomous vehicle in California

LOS ANGELES - China's drive-sharing company Didi Chuxing Technology Co was approved by California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to test its self-driving vehicles.

A newest list posted on DMV's website showed 53 pieces of Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permits (with a driver) had been permitted as of last Thursday. Didi was the latest one joining the group, which includes both technology and automotive companies.

Didi Senior Communications Director Liang Sun was quoted by The Wall Street Journal Monday as saying that the company had been testing autonomous vehicles in closed internal environment for a while and it is finalizing its plans to begin US road trials which will be made in a "prudent and safety-first" manner.

Didi last year opened its main research facility in Mountain View of California, 860 kilometers north of Los Angeles, to focus on developing artificial intelligence, including autonomous driving.

The approval from the California state regulator is Didi's first license for testing on public roads in the United States. Besides Didi, many Chinese companies including Baidu, Faraday & Future, Changan Automobile, have started its test in the state.