Monday 10th March 2025

Lotus Robotics powers autonomous driving platform

Chinese company CaoCao Mobility is extending its autonomous ride hailing, with Lotus tech behind it

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You’d be forgiven for not knowing much, if anything, about Lotus Robotics or CaoCao Mobility. But as the self-driving division of Lotus, Robotics looks set to become more and more important in the coming years. Proof of which can be found in a new partnership with CaoCao Mobility, a Chinese ride hailing company that operates in 57 Chinese cities with seven million users. Lotus Robotics will help CaoCao (also invested in by Geely) to ‘accelerate the deployment of its autonomous driving solutions globally.’

Already the first unmanned, entirely autonomous trial has taken place using CaoCao’s vehicles and Lotus Robotics’ tech, with more than 8,000 miles - 13,545km - across Hanzhou and Suzhou covered ‘without human intervention’. Lots Of Travel, Usually Solo perhaps (feel free to nominate your own, better alternative.) Today’s release says that testing will continue in those cities to refine the integration between car, road and the cloud so that autonomous vehicles can deal better with the unexpected stuff on the road like crossings and obstacles. 

Certainly it seems like significant progress is being made by Lotus Robotics, with global rollout of a lot of the stuff being offered in China due by the end of this year. They include a junction U-turn function and ‘intelligent lane selection’, which is undoubtedly one area that a whole host of human driven cars could benefit from. The important terms to know, seemingly, are Robo Soul, Robo Galaxy and Robo Matrix; Galaxy is the range of cloud-based tools that underpins the Soul software stack, while Matrix is real-time monitoring (with some AI help) to further help safety. As far as Lotuses you might buy in the UK are concerned, the Eletre and Emeya are already using some of the Robo Soul components. It’s said to be capable of level 4 autonomy, so don’t be surprised if those cars can boast greater self driving capability in time. 

Today’s news follows a deal struck with Aramco Digital in Saudi Arabia, with the aim to use Lotus Robotics’ expertise for autonomous taxis in the Middle East. Lotus says the CaoCao deal ‘marks a major milestone’ in the growth of Robotics. Long may it continue.

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• A Lotus Eletre in five days | PH Footnote
• 2024 Lotus Emeya | PH Review

[chickensoup]

"for the drivers"

[Wab1974uk]

Sadly people will embrace this, so they can sit on their phones while the car drives them around.

[TGCOTF-dewey]

Wab1974uk said:

Sadly people will embrace this, so they can sit on their phones while the car drives them around.

Why wouldn't you though. 99 percent of the time, driving in the UK is a miserable experience.

Personally, I can't wait for reliable autonomous vehicles. That plus an old school basic ICE for sunny Sunday mornings will do me.

[CharverDeeksWorth]

When the machines turn against us we’re all doomed.

I do actually feel this sort of stuff will greatly benefit me in my old age, I already have lots of home automation and it’s great but when it all goes HAL9000 on us, we’re fked.

[Panamax]

Oh dear, poor old Lotus.

[Frimley111R]

Panamax said:

Oh dear, poor old Lotus.

Yeah, hugely larger sales figures, massively improved vehicle quality, massive budgets, great tech. Yeah, poor old Lotus.

[Frimley111R]

TGCOTF-dewey said:

Wab1974uk said:

Sadly people will embrace this, so they can sit on their phones while the car drives them around.

Why wouldn't you though. 99 percent of the time, driving in the UK is a miserable experience.

Personally, I can't wait for reliable autonomous vehicles. That plus an old school basic ICE for sunny Sunday mornings will do me.

100% this. I love cars but there is a gulf between driving and simply travelling. I really don't enjoy driving 25 to work and back. If the car did it I'd love it.

[Bernt Tuakrisp]

I love people’s blind faith that a future government won’t just switch off your autonomous vehicle when they think the situation demands. Like during a covid pandemic. Or maybe on election day.

[SpudLink]

Technically interesting.
I’m sure I’ll appreciate the development of autonomous cars when I’m too old/blind/senile to drive.
One step closer to Johnny Cabs.

Is Lotus Robotics a purely Chinese entity?

[Mark_Blanchard]

Can anyone hear that creaking noise?

That's Colin turning in his grave again.

[LotusOmega375D]

I can see another bunch of Lotus fans saying Ciao Ciao to the brand after this.

[Wills2]

I wonder if remote piloted planes will ever take off (if you pardon the pun) or do we expect the the pilots life to be on the line as well if things go wrong rather than sat in some control centre.

Back to cars, I know driving can be a chore, but I don't feel comfortable with the idea of being in a driverless car I really don't.

[kambites]

Wills2 said:

Back to cars, I know driving can be a chore, but I don't feel comfortable with the idea of being in a driverless car I really don't.

I suspect many of us dinosaurs never will, but we will also quickly become an irrelevance.

[Frimley111R]

Mark_Blanchard said:

Can anyone hear that creaking noise?

That's Colin turning in his grave again.

It's actually the sound of your mind opening itself up the future.

[Xenoous]

TGCOTF-dewey said:

Why wouldn't you though. 99 percent of the time, driving in the UK is a miserable experience.

75% of my driving these days is just the miserable commute, so I absolutely agree with you. I hate it so much I got a folding bike so I could park wherever the traffic starts so I can cycle in to the office. I've really started to hate driving, when previously it was one of my main hobbies/enjoyable activities. A mixture of poor driving standards and even poorer roads has really ruined it for me.

[Joscal]

I love the idea of autonomous too, especially for cities but will it ever work on a British B road I wonder?

It can only make the roads safer as the amount of idiots I see on their phones when I’m walking the dog is terrifying.

[Terminator X]

Frimley111R said:

Panamax said:

Oh dear, poor old Lotus.

Yeah, hugely larger sales figures, massively improved vehicle quality, massive budgets, great tech. Yeah, poor old Lotus.

Lol you think that they can go from the current stshow to that.

TX.

[sean ie3]

Well, the trouble with automation is... As a human equipped with a few senses I like to use them when and wherever I choose, so the action of driving would be de-humanised and a liberty would be lost. This Is something I don't like the thought of. Something to get me from a2b with a minimal amount of stress when that Is what Is needed sounds like a plan...that might take many people many years to implement with a degree of success. Good luck to them I guess and freedom should be enjoyed while it's available.

Edited by sean ie3 on Monday 10th March 20:03

[Coley88]

They can’t get many of their Eletres to drive.

God help us when they make them drive themselves.

[DonkeyApple]

Grrrr China. Aahhghh Colin's spinning. This is exactly why people have ended up with fat wives and no drives.

That said, does Lotus Robotics have all that much to do with Lotus in Turnipville?