The gridlock that plagues China's major cities may provide a crucial boost for driverless cars, according to an April 4 article by The New York Times.

 

If you're going to be stuck in traffic, the argument goes, let the computer do the driving while you get some work done.

 

For this and other reasons, the U.S.-based Boston Consulting Group predicts China will be the largest market for self-driving vehicles within 15 years.

 

Driverless taxis will prove especially popular in China, according to The Times.

 

Several Chinese technology firms have entered the race to develop self-driving vehicles.

 

Internet company Leshi Internet Information & Technology has created an r&d unit to develop autonomous vehicles, and Great Wall Motor Co. has opened a technical center in Silicon Valley.

 

Perhaps China's most consequential player is Baidu, which began developing a self-driving vehicle in 2013. The Times notes that Baidu is working with BMW and has conducted road tests in the United States.

 

Baidu also has announced plans to launch small, self-driving buses that will run along established routes in China by 2018. Local Chinese regulators have given Baidu their support, according to The Times, while the central government has invested in r&d for self-driving cars.

 

On the other hand, Chinese roads often are in poor repair, with unmarked lanes and a variety of trucks, three-wheelers, motorbikes and bicycles jostling for position. All in all, it's a challenging environment for a self-driving car's artificial intelligence.