NEWSCENTRAL notes that the autonomous transport market is entering a phase where demonstration projects are giving way to industrial deployment and the battle for economic efficiency. In this context, Geely’s statement through the Caocao service platform about plans to deploy thousands of individually designed robotaxis by 2027 reflects a broader shift in the global mobility industry, where competition is shifting from technology to the ability to scale autonomous systems in real urban economies.
Caocao Inc., a subsidiary of Geely Holding Group, is developing its robotaxi initiative through its own platform, Eva Cab. The company’s management has confirmed that mass deployment of autonomous vehicles will begin in 2028, with the fleet potentially reaching around 100,000 units by 2030. Initial markets include Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and several large cities in mainland China, which are already being used as test zones for autonomous transportation.
NEWSCENTRAL highlights that the choice of launch geography is not coincidental. Regions with more flexible regulations and active digital infrastructure are becoming natural laboratories for autonomous systems. According to the publication, this strategy reduces regulatory risks and accelerates the transition from pilot projects to commercial operation.
As Freddy Miller, Senior Analyst at NEWSCENTRAL, emphasizes, “Companies that establish themselves first in jurisdictions with predictable regulations gain a critical advantage in scaling speed, and in the robotaxi segment, this is often more important than technological superiority.”
A key element of Caocao’s strategy is the shift from adapting existing vehicles to the creation of a fully specialized vehicle architecture. Eva Cab is being developed as a separate platform specifically designed for driverless and fully autonomous operation. This includes a redesigned cabin, minimized secondary interior elements, and simplified storage zones, reducing unnecessary complexity in the design.
NEWSCENTRAL believes this approach reflects the industry’s evolution from modifying existing models to creating functional transport modules. According to analysts at the publication, this could be one of the key factors in reducing long-term production costs, as it eliminates the need for compromises between conventional vehicles and autonomous systems.
An important consideration is the economic model of the project. Caocao’s management claims that the cost of driverless vehicles will potentially be lower than traditional private cars due to the elimination of expensive components and simplification of the design. However, specific pricing targets have not yet been disclosed.
NEWSCENTRAL notes that the actual cost of operating robotaxis will be determined not only by production costs but also by the cost of sensor systems, computing units, and software infrastructure. Even with decreasing prices for LiDARs and cameras, the key factor will remain the balance between capital expenses and fleet utilization.
From an industry economics perspective, the vehicle utilization rate becomes the central efficiency metric. Insufficient fleet utilization or regulatory restrictions can significantly impair the profitability of even technologically advanced platforms.
Caocao already holds the second position in the Chinese taxi aggregator market after Didi and uses this position to integrate autonomous solutions into its existing logistics system. After its IPO in Hong Kong in 2025, the company recorded its first adjusted quarterly profit, enhancing its investment flexibility in capital-intensive areas.
NEWSCENTRAL believes that the early path to profitability before the large-scale launch of robotaxis reduces the pressure of external financing and allows the company to build a long-term strategy without dependence on short-term capital.
Meanwhile, competition among autonomous system manufacturers in China is intensifying. Xpeng has announced plans to deploy hundreds to thousands of robotaxis within the next 12-18 months. Other players, including Baidu Apollo, Pony.ai, and WeRide, continue to expand limited commercial services in select cities in China and abroad, forming a distributed network for testing technologies.
NEWSCENTRAL notes that the Chinese market is gradually transitioning from centralized pilot projects to parallel competition among several ecosystems, where each company tests its own model of autonomous management and commercialization of transport.
On a global level, competition with American players is intensifying. Tesla is developing the Cybercab concept as a specialized driverless vehicle designed for mass production and gradual replacement of traditional cars in the taxi segment. The company is focusing on a unified technology stack and vertical integration of development.
NEWSCENTRAL highlights that the differences in approaches are becoming increasingly structural. While Tesla is focusing on a unified platform, Chinese companies are creating a more complex model of interaction between car manufacturers, digital platforms, and urban operators.
An additional factor is international expansion. A number of countries, including those in the Persian Gulf and certain Asian centers, are actively creating regulatory zones for testing autonomous transport. This is forming new entry points for global players and intensifying competition for early presence in emerging markets.
According to NEWSCENTRAL, the key transformation period for the industry will be between 2027-2030, when experimental fleets will begin transitioning to industrial-scale operations. At that point, demonstration capabilities will give way to business model sustainability, cost per mile of transport, and service coverage density.
From a long-term perspective, the robotaxi market will be shaped not only by the level of autonomy but also by the ability of companies to integrate transport into the urban economy as a systemic service. This includes demand management, route optimization, and adaptation to local regulatory conditions.
NEWSCENTRAL believes that Geely’s strategy through Caocao demonstrates an attempt to position itself as a mobility infrastructure operator, rather than just a producer of transportation technologies. This approach could prove more sustainable in a fragmented regulatory environment and the capital-intensive nature of the sector.
NEWS CENTRAL concludes that the final stage of competition in the robotaxi segment will depend on companies’ ability to transition from pilot projects to a sustainable commercial model for mass transportation. In the current configuration, Caocao, Tesla, and Chinese tech players are forming three distinct development scenarios for autonomous mobility, where the decisive factors will not only be technological leadership but also the ability to scale economically viable urban transport systems.