Pony AI's fleet of driverless lorries, currently operating on these test routes, is only the start of what is to come, the company's vice-president Li Hengyu tells the BBC.
"In the future, with driverless operations, our transportation efficiency will definitely be greatly improved," he says. "For example, labour costs will be reduced but, more importantly, we can deal better with harsh environments and long hours driving."
What this all boils down to is saving money, says industry expert Yang Ruigang, a technology professor from Shanghai Jiaotong University, who has extensive experience working on driverless technology in both China and the US.
"Anything that can reduce operating costs is something a company would like to have, so it's fairly easy to justify the investment in having a fully autonomous, driverless truck," he tells the BBC.
In short, he says, the goal is simple: "Reduce the driver cost close to zero."
