CaoCao Inc. plans to deploy 100 robotaxis in Shanghai’s Jiading District in 2026 under a new strategic cooperation agreement with Shanghai International Automobile City (Group) Co., Ltd. The Hong Kong-listed mobility platform, a subsidiary of Geely Holding Group, will establish a wholly owned subsidiary in the SIAC core area to support commercial robotaxi operations. The agreement was signed on the day before the announcement.
Highlights
- CaoCao will set up a wholly owned subsidiary inside the Shanghai International Automobile City core area to anchor robotaxi commercialization.
- The 2026 Jiading deployment targets 100 vehicles in the district.
- A purpose-built robotaxi customized for CaoCao is slated for mass production in 2027.
- Cumulative deployment is targeted at 100,000 vehicles by 2030.
Jiading Anchor for Commercial Operations
The wholly owned subsidiary will sit inside the SIAC core area in Jiading District, which has become one of Shanghai’s primary clusters for intelligent connected vehicle development. The company says the structure is intended to support the commercialization of robotaxi operations and the scaled deployment of services in the city.
SIAC will help CaoCao access Shanghai’s intelligent connected vehicle innovation resources, according to the announcement. The two parties frame the work around three pillars: technology R&D, industrial-chain collaboration, and real urban scenario testing. CaoCao says it will draw on SIAC’s combined strengths in industrial clustering, policy innovation, and testing and validation as it works to improve the efficiency of commercial robotaxi operations.
Jiading is already an established testbed for autonomous ride-hailing in China. Pony.ai launched robotaxi services in Jiading in mid-2021 and expanded its public PonyPilot+ fleet in Shanghai later that year.
Eva Cab and the 2027 Mass-Production Plan
The Shanghai agreement lands alongside CaoCao’s broader vehicle program. Eva Cab — described in the release as China’s first purpose-built robotaxi prototype — recently debuted at Auto China in Beijing, with CaoCao involved in product definition and R&D.
Under the current plan, CaoCao’s customized robotaxi will enter mass production in 2027. The company says cumulative deployment is targeted at 100,000 vehicles by 2030.
Geely-Backed Operating Platform
CaoCao is positioned as Geely Holding Group’s primary commercial platform for robotaxi operations. The company says it has built a closed-loop ecosystem covering purpose-built vehicles, autonomous driving technology, and intelligent operations, supported by a decade of shared-mobility data, dispatch algorithms, and a nationwide service network. Its asset management framework covers vehicle procurement, insurance, maintenance, and residual value.
That commercial-operator framing distinguishes CaoCao from technology-first peers competing in the same robotaxi segment. The company’s December 2025 strategy update introduced a “100 Cities, 100 Billion in 10 Years” goal and a Green Intelligent Mobility Hub concept aimed at fleet-scale operations.
Domestic Expansion and International Outlook
CaoCao says it will gradually expand into additional Chinese cities through 2026 and explore robotaxi opportunities in Hong Kong. International expansion is also on the roadmap, with the company indicating it will leverage Geely’s global network to enter suitable overseas markets, though no specific cities or timelines were disclosed.
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