Mass deployment of robo-vans in China turns into road chaos – they drive like GTA Online players

Videos of autonomous delivery vans have flooded Chinese social media, showcasing both the capabilities and serious flaws of this emerging technology. The footage reveals how these driverless vehicles behave completely unpredictably on public roads.

One viral clip on Xiaohongshu shows a Neolix X3 van aggressively bouncing over potholes on a gravel road. The van carries two massive lithium batteries mounted in the lower chassis, clearly overwhelming the suspension's ability to handle rough terrain.

Other incidents include a smaller Neolix X3 struggling to navigate a road covered in corn, and a stubborn ZTO Express van getting stuck after driving through fresh cement.

The abundance of such videos reflects the massive rollout of autonomous vans across China. Neolix reported deploying over 10,000 robo-vans across 300 cities as of October, according to The Robot Report. Qingdao alone operates more than 1,200 autonomous cargo vans that have covered tens of millions of kilometers and completed thousands of deliveries. The company became the first to receive an autonomous delivery license in 2021, enabling operations on designated public roads.

Other companies like Rino.ai are following Neolix's lead with over 2,000 driverless vans operating in more than 170 cities. While the clips may seem amusing, these robo-vans pose an obvious safety threat on the roads – and likely preview what awaits the rest of the world in the near future.