Chery chief questions if people will own cars in decade

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 02:02 · Archive

Chery's international president has questioned whether most people will want to own a car in ten years as robotaxis expand.

Chery International president Zhang Guibing has questioned whether most people will want to own a car in ten years as robotaxis become more prevalent. Speaking to Australian media in Wuhu, he said the rapid development of driverless technology may mean that most people will not want to buy or own a car in future.

If more people choose on-demand rides over ownership, car companies face a significant shift in their business model. They will need to sell more vehicles to fleet operators, run transport services themselves, or find other ways to replace lost private sales.

Chery already operates a robotaxi service on public roads. In July 2025, it launched a service in Shanghai's Pudong district in partnership with autonomous-driving company WeRide and Jinjiang Taxi. Their jointly developed CER robotaxi uses WeRide's technology combined with the architecture of the Sterra ET SUV from Chery's premium Exeed brand. The vehicle is a Level 4 autonomous vehicle, designed to operate without a human driver within specified conditions. Exeed announced plans to showcase the robotaxi at a Chery summit in Wuhu and signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates' K2 for overseas deployment.

Chery chief questions if people will own cars in decade — Image: The West Australian

Comments (0)

How it is being reported

Chery boss questions future of car ownership amid rise of robotaxisChery’s international boss is weighing a future with fewer private car buyers, as driverless fleets expand and analysts forecast different outcomes for vehicle sales.The West Australian · 27 Oct, 01:26
Chery boss questions future of car ownership amid rise of robotaxisChery’s international boss is weighing a future with fewer private car buyers, as driverless fleets expand and analysts forecast different outcomes for vehicle sales.Perth Now · 27 Oct, 01:26

In this story: Chery · Zhang Guibing · WeRide · Jinjiang Taxi · Shanghai · Exeed · Australia · United Arab Emirates

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem