Shanghai announced recently that it was expanding its network of test streets for intelligent connected vehicles or ICVs throughout Jiading New City and in the Lin-gang Special Area – both located in the metropolis in East China – in a move to accelerate the development of the new technology.

The announcement was made on Nov 7 at a forum during the 4th China International Import Expo, or CIIE, held on Nov 5-10 in Shanghai.

As a result of the initiative, innovators of ICVs will now able to test their technology in substantially more Shanghai streets.

With the addition of the new streets for testing, Shanghai will now have 615 roads that extend about 1,290 kilometers for the purpose, leading all Chinese cities.

Some 645 km of test roads are located in the Jiading district, with another 539 km in Lin-gang, including 34 km of roadway for the Donghai Bridge. The remainder are located in the Fengxian district and other parts of the Pudong New Area.

In the Lin-gang Special Area, the opening up for the purpose of 28.4 km of Lianggang Avenue – from the Xinsiping Highway to the intersection at the Laogang Seedling Base – is said to mark the start of ICV tests on the city's urban expressways.

With the opening of the new streets for ICV tests, innovators will establish more than 7,000 new testing areas, according to the city's transport commission.

The commission has also launched a new policy guide for ICV development. This prioritizes ICV applications in seven fields – smart taxis, smart public transportation, smart logistics, unmanned sales points, driverless deliveries, sightseeing services and unmanned street cleaning.

It is understood that businesses are being encouraged to look for solutions for the goals and work towards the commercialization of ICVs in these fields.