Shenzhen's smart night-logistics industry is picking up speed. Since the city officially opened night-time road rights to functional autonomous vehicles this March, the number of night delivery routes has grown from just 2 to 331 in only three months, with over 100 vehicles deployed. In June alone, night-time mileage surpassed 40,000 km, underscoring the shift toward large-scale, routine autonomous night delivery.
Cross-district routes form a backbone network as the night-time road network expands
According to the city's transport department, Shenzhen's autonomous logistics vehicles now run on a dynamic, flexible dispatch system: roughly 30% of the fleet is active during peak hours, with about 15% typically online day-to-day. Fine-tuned smart scheduling matches delivery demand across different time slots, optimizing both fleet efficiency and operating costs.
The rollout of night-time autonomous logistics also delivers real urban governance value. By shifting delivery capacity to off-peak night hours, the city frees up otherwise idle road space at night while preserving prime daytime road space for commuters — boosting delivery efficiency while easing daytime traffic congestion. This model fully leverages the dividends of the night road-rights policy, moving Shenzhen's night-time autonomous delivery steadily from pilot exploration toward routine, standardized operation.
Spatially, Shenzhen's night logistics network centers on the two pilot districts of Longgang and Pingshan, with cross-district routes linking Bao'an, Longgang, and Pingshan into a main transport corridor, gradually extending to Futian, Nanshan, Longhua, Guangming, and Luohu. In June, night-time mileage in the Longgang and Pingshan pilot zones reached 18,070 km and 17,370 km respectively.
Leading companies cluster in Shenzhen as the local industry ecosystem matures
Industry clustering effects continue to build, with major domestic smart logistics companies — Neolix (新石器), Jiushi (九识), JD.com, Deepway (行深智能), Minieye (佑驾), and others — setting up operations in Shenzhen, covering express delivery, grid-warehouse restocking, fresh produce delivery, and other scenarios, forming a multi-layered, city-wide, efficient night-time smart logistics network.
Each company is building differentiated operating models around its technical strengths. JD Logistics focuses on cross-district warehouse transfers and site restocking, connecting logistics nodes in Pingshan and Longgang via more than 100 night routes across the two districts. Neolix has deployed 51 autonomous delivery vehicles, focusing on express delivery and cross-district trunk logistics — cutting last-mile delivery costs by 30–50%, boosting operational efficiency by about 30%, and reducing overall transport and loading/unloading costs by 40–50%. Neolix still has over a dozen night cross-district routes awaiting phased rollout.
Pioneering a "Shenzhen Standard" for safer night logistics
As large-scale night-time autonomous logistics operations expand, Shenzhen is leading the way on regulatory innovation tailored to industry needs and safety requirements, pushing night logistics from "getting it running" to "running steadily and safely."
To match the pace of industry growth while safeguarding night-time road safety, the city has issued the Shenzhen Functional Autonomous Vehicle Night Driving Management Measures (Trial) — a first-of-its-kind policy nationwide. The measures follow the principles of "safety first, strict standards, clear responsibility, dynamic adjustment," establishing a full-chain, standardized management system covering both vehicles and operators.
On the safety side, the measures set three core technical standards for vehicles and clearly define the responsibilities of operators, manufacturers, and vehicle users, ensuring full traceability and oversight. Additional detailed rules include: low-noise night operating standards to reduce impact on residential areas; mandatory reflective markings for better visibility at night; regulated lighting systems that balance road recognition with anti-glare and light-pollution requirements; and an emergency response mechanism requiring "5-minute online response, 15-minute on-site arrival" to safeguard night driving.
Road-rights pilot accelerates — night operations now exceed 20% of total
The intelligent connected vehicle industry is one of Shenzhen's key strategic emerging industry clusters, with a strong foundation and vibrant innovation. As the first city in China to issue dedicated regulations for intelligent connected vehicles, Shenzhen is also at the forefront of road-rights liberalization and commercial pilots for autonomous delivery nationwide.
According to the latest data from the Shenzhen Intelligent Connected Transportation Association, night-time operations by autonomous logistics vehicles have grown rapidly this year. As of the end of May, night-time operating mileage accounted for over 20% of total mileage for functional autonomous vehicles citywide. There are now 1,273 functional autonomous vehicles in operation, including 815 logistics vehicles, 453 sanitation vehicles, and 5 inspection vehicles. The city has opened a cumulative total of 2,633 logistics autonomous vehicle routes, covering 11,980 km — and the road network continues to expand.
Notably, the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Intelligent Connected Vehicle Management Regulations and the Ministry of Public Security's Safety Guidelines for Road Testing and Demonstration Application of Intelligent Connected Vehicles both took effect on July 1. These two major national- and city-level policies further widen the scope for autonomous vehicle pilots and enable commercial operations, adding strong momentum to the continued growth of Shenzhen's night-time autonomous logistics industry.
Source: Shenzhen Special Zone Daily
Editor: Tan Yue