SAIC Mobility used the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai to kick off a purpose-built, production-ready robotaxi program for parent SAIC Motor, with a 2027 debut and a splitting of responsibilities that folds vehicle engineering, autonomous driving and fleet operations into one program.
Shanghai's First Factory-Integrated L4 Vehicle
Announced at a forum on advanced autonomous driving at WAIC on July 20, the model will be Shanghai's first purpose-built, mass-produced vehicle with a factory-integrated high-level autonomous-driving system, according to SAIC Mobility. It will also mark SAIC Motor's first robotaxi designed for series production, rather than a passenger EV converted after leaving the line — a shift several Chinese automakers are making as robotaxi operators focus more on total cost of ownership than driving-only performance.
Three Companies, One Program
SAIC Motor will handle vehicle engineering and manufacturing, an autonomous-driving technology partner will supply the driving stack, and SAIC Mobility will define the product and run the resulting fleet. The autonomous provider has not been formally named, though IM Motors representatives joined the SAIC Motor and SAIC Mobility executives on stage at the WAIC launch. SAIC Mobility already runs a Level 4 fleet in Shanghai's Pudong New Area with autonomous-driving developer Momenta.
350,000 Rides Into A Bigger Bet
SAIC Mobility launched service in 2021 as one of China's first automaker-backed L4 ride-hailing platforms, and has since logged more than 350,000 passenger orders and over 4 million kilometers of safe operation. Last year the company, IM Motors and SAIC AI Lab won some of Shanghai's first driverless demo licenses without a safety operator in the driver's seat, then opened an L4 route linking Shanghai International Resort with Pudong International Airport.
The 2027 target sits alongside a busy robotaxi week already documented on The Robotics Media, including Waymo turning off its safety driver in Las Vegas, Zoox unveiling its production-intent Hayward robotaxi, and the D.C. lobbying battle over Uber's hybrid robotaxi bill. SAIC's rollout will initially be Shanghai-only, where SAIC Mobility already holds local regulatory experience.
Reporting based on coverage from Gasgoo Auto News and SAIC Motor.