Yutong Executive Li Gaopeng: Large Buses Should Not Go Fully Autonomous—Human-Machine Collaboration Is Safer

At the High-Level Forum on Intelligent Electric Vehicle Development held in Beijing on April 12, 2026, Li Gaopeng, Director of Yutong Group's New Energy Research Institute, stated that electrification has already driven rapid industry growth, and intelligence will be the key focus in the next phase. While expressing support for autonomous driving technology, he clearly opposed implementing driverless systems in large buses. Li emphasized that large buses typically carry 30 to 50 passengers, making safety paramount. He argued that even if driverless technology becomes technically feasible, human drivers should not be eliminated. Citing commercial aircraft and high-speed trains as examples, he noted that despite their capability for autonomous operation, human operators or supervisors are still required. He stressed that a "human-machine co-driving" system—where machines handle driving tasks while humans supervise and can take over control when necessary—is a safer approach. According to Li, Yutong’s autonomous driving systems, including both advanced driver assistance and conditional automation, are built upon a "dual-driving, dual-control" philosophy: human drivers and intelligent systems share driving authority, with the system always active and never disengaging, ensuring robust safety redundancy.