(Yicai Global) July 2 -- Internet titan Baidu has obtained the first T4 autonomous driving license plates issued in China after securing five of them from regulators in the capital.

The Beijing-based firm now has over 100 self-driving plates throughout the country, more than any of its competitors, Beijing News reported yesterday, citing the company. Acquiring the T4 license requires holding to the highest technical standards in the country. Vehicles eligible for the license must be able to legally navigate complex stretches of road -- such as through tunnels and past schools -- and cope with scenarios like careless pedestrians and detours around construction sites.

Beijing has so far dished out 56 self-driving licenses for vehicles made by Baidu, Nio, Tencent, Didi Chuxing and four other companies, which have racked up 153,600 kilometers of test drives, the city said in a government report in April. Baidu has 45 of them and has conducted more than 90 percent of the tests by distance.

The firm has also secured a partnership with Hunan's provincial capital Changsha under which it can test autonomous taxis and other smart communication technologies in designated areas throughout the second half of this year, according to Chief Executive Robin Li.

Editor: James Boynton