HCB Chapter 147 Real Vehicle Testing
Chapter 147 Real Vehicle Testing
The flags at the closed testing ground fluttered in the wind.
Zuo Cheng stood on the viewing platform, looking down at the test track below. A white test vehicle was parked quietly at the starting line, the words "402 Technology × Joint Test with a Domestic Car Manufacturer" on its side standing out prominently in the sunlight.
Today is the first day of open road testing.
For the first six weeks, the 402's intelligent driving system underwent various tests in simulation and closed test tracks, passing all tasks without a single instance of takeover. However, simulation and closed test tracks are ultimately controlled environments; the real test lies on open roads.
Shen Yiming jogged over, his face tense.
"Mr. Zuo, we just received a weather warning; there may be thunderstorms this afternoon."
Zuo Cheng looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were gathering from the west, and the first lightning bolt was already brewing in the clouds.
"Then let's do it," he decided. "But all test vehicles will be equipped with an emergency takeover switch, and test personnel will remain vigilant throughout the process. In case of any unexpected situation, they will take over immediately."
Shen Yiming nodded and turned to make the arrangements.
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The first test began at 10:00 AM.
High-speed autonomous driving.
Zuo Cheng sat in the passenger seat, while Shen Yiming monitored various parameters in the driver's seat. Two reporters sat in the back seat, holding their phones and ready to take notes.
The test vehicle entered the highway entrance and its speed quickly increased to 120 kilometers per hour.
The truck in front suddenly changed lanes.
The system reacted immediately, slightly slowing down and adjusting its lateral position to maintain a safe distance from the truck. The entire process was seamless; the reporter in the back seat instinctively gripped the handrail, but the vehicle didn't sway at all.
"Is this the 290-meter sensing distance you were talking about?" a reporter asked.
"Yes," Shen Yiming said calmly. "Actual tests showed that its ability to recognize distant obstacles is about 15% stronger than expected."
The reporters exchanged a glance. This kind of detail is usually only noticed by professional testing organizations.
Over the next half hour, the test vehicle underwent multiple lane changes, overtaking, and entering and exiting ramps. The system handled each situation smoothly without requiring any intervention.
The first test is complete, with zero takeover attempts.
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The second test is the urban road test, which significantly increases the difficulty.
Traffic lights, pedestrians, bicycles, electric tricycles... all sorts of traffic participants are mixed together, making the system's perception and decision-making capabilities a real test.
The test vehicle entered a city road. As the traffic light changed, the system smoothly decelerated to a stop. When the green light came on, the vehicle automatically started moving again. A food delivery rider suddenly crossed from the right, and the system immediately issued an alert while simultaneously making a slight swerve to avoid him.
Zuo Cheng mentally noted this scene. The sudden movement of delivery riders is one of the most difficult scenarios to handle because their trajectories are completely unpredictable. The fact that the system could react correctly indicates that its perception and decision-making modules have been thoroughly trained.
But just then, the sky darkened. Dark clouds rolled in, and the first bolt of lightning cleaved the heavens.
The raindrops pounded against the windshield, quickly turning into a downpour. Visibility deteriorated rapidly, and the camera feed became completely blurry.
"Do we need to take over?" The reporter in the back seat asked nervously.
Shen Yiming did not answer, staring intently at the parameters on the screen.
Rainwater streamed down the glass, causing the perception system's confidence level to drop. However, the system remained calm; it automatically adjusted the weights of each sensor, reducing reliance on cameras and increasing the output ratio of millimeter-wave radar and laser radar.
The vehicle continued to drive smoothly. The water accumulation ahead caused slight tire slippage, but the system promptly adjusted the braking force distribution to maintain vehicle stability.
Five minutes later, the vehicle drove out of the rainstorm area.
"This performance exceeded expectations." Shen Yiming took off his headphones, a hint of pride in his voice. "Perception degradation in heavy rain is an industry-wide challenge, which we solved using multi-sensor adaptive fusion."
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The third item is the automatic parking test.
The test vehicle drove into a narrow parking lot, with cars parked on both sides, leaving a central aisle less than half a meter wider than the vehicle itself. Human drivers have a success rate of less than 60% in parking such spaces.
The vehicle slowly drove into the lane, the steering wheel turned automatically, and it parked perfectly in one go, with the distances on both sides almost perfectly symmetrical.
The reporter in the back seat couldn't help but applaud: "Incredible! When I was testing a Tesla, its automatic parking success rate was only 70%, requiring two adjustments. You guys parked it in one go!"
"Our path planning algorithm optimizes the cornering strategy," Zuo Cheng replied.
The fourth item is the emergency obstacle avoidance test.
The test vehicle was traveling at 80 km/h when a simulated obstacle suddenly appeared ahead. The system first issued a warning, then began to automatically decelerate after 0.1 seconds, and then automatically steered the steering wheel after 0.4 seconds. The test vehicle then gracefully navigated around the obstacle and returned to the center of the lane with stable posture.
"The braking distance is 3 meters shorter than expected." Shen Yiming stared at the data panel, his eyes slightly red. "The decision-making algorithm has been optimized again."
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All tests were completed at 3 PM.
On the viewing platform, Wei Dongsheng listened to the report and then tightly grasped Zuo Cheng's hand.
"Mr. Zuo, this system has exceeded my expectations. I've tested Tesla's Autopilot many times, and none of them have reached your level today."
"This is just test data," Zuo Cheng said calmly. "There's still a long way to go before mass production."
"I know." Wei Dongsheng nodded. "Give me a timetable."
Shen Yiming unfolded the document: "The first phase of closed testing is complete. Next, we'll move on to the second phase of open road testing, which will be completed in two months, while simultaneously advancing automotive-grade certification. If everything goes smoothly, mass production can begin in six months."
"Six months." Wei Dongsheng repeated the number. "I'll go back and immediately start preparing the supply chain. The IPO plan for next year can't be delayed any longer."
He turned and left, his steps much faster than when he came.
Zuo Cheng watched his departing figure. The first mass-produced car, six months later, equipped with the 402 intelligent driving system—a scene that would have been unimaginable two years ago.
"Mr. Zuo, there's some data you should take a look at." Shen Yiming handed over his phone.
"Our overall safety score is 11% higher than Tesla's Autopilot. This is the first time we've outperformed Tesla in this type of test."
Zuo Cheng looked at the number. 11%. Behind this small number were countless days and nights of hard work by the entire team.
"This is just the beginning," he said. "Once mass production begins next year, I want the world to know that China's intelligent driving technology is second to none."
Outside the test track, Shen Yiming's phone kept ringing. Reports from various media outlets were being released, with "Domestic Intelligent Driving System Outperforms Tesla in Real-World Tests" becoming the day's top tech headline.