Marketplace All-in-One China puts the brakes on driverless taxis
Dec 24, 2025
An unidentified reporter provides insights into China's recent regulatory decisions on driverless taxis, revealing that only two out of nine companies were approved for limited operations due to a tragic crash in Anhui. Ella Hoxer, an investment professional, analyzes the mixed outcomes for commodities in 2025, highlighting a remarkable 109% gain in silver and shifts in coffee and cocoa supplies. The conversation also touches on Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg making waves as they invest in Swansea City, adding a pop culture twist to the financial landscape.
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China Narrows Its Robotaxi Rollout
- China approved only two of nine firms to test driverless taxis, signaling a pullback from mass rollout ambitions.
- The approvals limit robotaxis to specific highways and ban lane changes under computer control.
Fatal Crash Spurred Regulatory Backpedal
- A March highway crash in Anhui province killed three women and spread widely through Chinese media.
- That incident appears to have directly influenced the tighter regulatory response to autonomous taxis.
Promotion Meets Caution
- China had been heavily promoting robo-taxis as national technological priorities but is now showing caution.
- Experts call the narrow approvals a rollback rather than accelerated deployment.