A study by eCarsTrade, a company in the B2B automotive sector, points to China as the country most prepared for autonomous cars among 15 nations analyzed. The survey evaluated robotaxi deployment, road infrastructure, legal frameworks and public opinion.
China leads with more than 17 million robotaxi rides recorded. The Apollo Go service operates vehicles completely without a safety driver, and 5G coverage reaches 96% of the population. The country also has more than 3 million electric vehicle chargers, although road quality was rated 4.8 out of 7.
United States and other positions
The United States appears in second place. Waymo performs around 500,000 paid rides per week, approximately 26 million per year, the largest commercial robotaxi service outside China. The country has a road quality score of 5.6, nearly 200,000 chargers and advanced federal and state legislation for commercial operation of autonomous vehicles.
Singapore ranks third, with the best road rating in the study: 6.7 out of 7. 5G coverage reaches 95% of the population, and the legal framework is considered advanced, but the robotaxi fleet is limited and many services still require a safety driver.
Germany ranks fourth, having been the first country to legally allow Level 4 autonomous vehicles on public roads. It scores 5.9 on roads, 5G for 90% of the population and 130,000 chargers, but without major robotaxi deployment so far.
The United Arab Emirates round out the top 5, with fully autonomous commercial robotaxis in Abu Dhabi, in a partnership between WeRide and Uber. The country scores 6.4 on roads, 99% 5G coverage and fewer than 2,000 chargers, a volume offset by the small territorial size.
An eCarsTrade expert commented that the autonomous vehicle sector has moved from theoretical discussions to commercial operation with paying passengers. “A robotaxi on a closed track is a science project. A robotaxi carrying a real person through a busy city is a business,” he said.
The study excluded driver assistance systems, such as Tesla's Autopilot, because they still require a human behind the wheel. Public opinions in surveys and in 76 Reddit discussions were also analyzed.
