The US-China robotaxi race

The US-China robotaxi race

From Asia Specific by BBC World Service

May 26, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

The episode explores the competition between the US and China in the development of self-driving cars, focusing on the challenges and opportunities in the robotaxi sector.

Who will dominate in the race to develop and scale self-driving cars - the US or China? The two countries are far ahead in the autonomous vehicle space. While the technology has many applications, the most obvious one – and the one most talked about – is robotaxis. As driverless cars increasingly start being rolled out in cities around the world, we unpack whether funding and user experience or scale and diverse real world driving data will ultimately prove more valuable for the companies in the autonomous driving space. Host Mariko Oi unpacks the challenges autonomous car companies face with Suranjana Tewari and Tu Le, both of whom were at the recent Beijing auto show. Suranjana is the BBC’s Asia Business correspondent. Tu is the founder and Managing Director of the consultancy Sino Auto Insights, and has worked in the tech and automotive sectors. Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends. Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to…

People in this episode

Host: Mariko Oi

Guests: Suranjana Tewari, Tu Le

Topics covered

  • autonomous vehicles
  • robotaxis
  • US-China relations
  • technology development
  • automotive industry

Keywords

  • self-driving cars
  • robotaxis
  • autonomous vehicles
  • US
  • China
  • Beijing auto show
  • technology
  • funding
  • user experience

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC, Sino Auto Insights

Places: US, China, Beijing

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