(Yicai Global) Sept. 16 -- Shanghai has become the first city in China to issue licenses to test intelligent and connected vehicles, giving them to SAIC Motor, BMW and Didi Chuxing in the run-up to the 2019 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference.

The permits do more than just allow the two automakers and China's largest ride-hailing services provider to test the vehicles on urban roads. They also mark a giant leap forward in the field from the maturity of the technology to its commercialization and imminent use in people's lives.

A firm applying for such a license for the first time can test up to 50 vehicles and is allowed more if the initial batch run well for at least six months.

The WICV also issued the first permits in the Yangtze River Delta area, which embracing shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group and AllRide.ai. The WICV will run from Oct. 22 to 25 in Beijing.

Editor: Ben Armour