21世纪经济报道·2025-05-11 04:15Core Viewpoint - JD Group is signaling its entry into the autonomous taxi (RoboTaxi) market by applying for multiple "Joyrobotaxi" trademarks across key international classifications, indicating a strategic move towards this emerging sector [1][2]. Group 1: Trademark Registration - JD Group's subsidiary, Beijing JD 360 Degree E-commerce Co., Ltd., has applied for several "Joyrobotaxi" trademarks, covering categories such as transportation tools, scientific instruments, and storage [1]. - The trademarks are currently in the status of awaiting substantive examination, suggesting that the company is in the early stages of establishing its brand in the autonomous driving space [1][2]. Group 2: Historical Context and Strategic Moves - Liu Qiangdong's interest in the automotive sector has been evident since 2015, when he invested in NIO, holding 2.82% of its shares through a family trust [4]. - In 2025, JD plans to expand its automotive market presence by launching 100 stores across 50 cities and investing 500 million yuan in vehicle trade-in subsidies, indicating a strong commitment to the automotive sector [4]. Group 3: Industry Competition and Market Dynamics - The RoboTaxi market has seen accelerated activity, with companies like WeRide and Pony.ai increasing their fleet sizes significantly, indicating a competitive landscape [6]. - WeRide has deployed over 400 RoboTaxis, while Pony.ai plans to exceed 1,000 vehicles this year, and LoBot has around 2,000 vehicles with plans to scale to 20,000 in two years [6]. - The cost of L4 autonomous vehicles is expected to decrease significantly, with projections suggesting that the cost could drop to around 30,000 yuan by 2026 [6][7]. Group 4: Future Outlook - Experts predict that through the mass production of autonomous driving hardware and software, the cost of autonomous vehicles could potentially fall to 50,000 yuan, making the technology more accessible [7]. - Companies in the autonomous driving sector are focusing on achieving profitability, with some like LoBot already nearing breakeven in specific markets [7].