Luke Wilkinson considered himself an experienced driver. He had taken an Alpine A110 through France, pushed a Lamborghini Huracan on an Alpine pass, and survived an e-bike climb up a Croatian mountain. China marked his first trip east of Russia—and his first time driving there.
His task was straightforward: test the Xpeng P7+, an electric sedan. Before he could even start the vehicle, he faced a licensing process that proved far more involved than anticipated.
The temporary license gauntlet
China does not recognize international driving permits. To drive legally, Wilkinson needed to book an appointment at a local police station for a state-administered assessment. His UK photocard license was not sufficient.
He arrived at the Guangzhou police station the day after landing, carrying a photocopy of his license, the physical card, his passport, and a passport-style photo. The morning began with an interview and a stack of forms—none in English. A police officer pointed to each spot where Wilkinson had to sign, his patience wearing thin.
After completing the paperwork, he was directed to a classroom for the instructional portion of the certification. The session consisted of a 30-minute montage of dashcam and CCTV footage showing severe crashes. The narrator spoke in Mandarin, but the images required no translation. One segment focused on moped riders crushed by large trucks, lingering on the aftermath.
Cameras monitored the room to ensure attention. Wilkinson sat through the entire presentation, then had his form stamped, passed between officers, and finally laminated after a half-hour wait. He signed a logbook to confirm receipt, left with a pink temporary license, and was informed he could drive until February 2026.
Traffic as a contact sport
That afternoon, Wilkinson took the Xpeng P7+ onto Guangzhou’s roads. The training video had left him uneasy, but he assumed it exaggerated the dangers. It did not.
Chinese drivers moved in tight groups, cutting each other off with minimal clearance. Mopeds darted between trucks at high speed, disregarding lanes, traffic lights, and basic physics. Pedestrians stepped into traffic without warning, treating crosswalks as optional. Wilkinson’s internal monologue during the drive captured a series of near-misses: “That bloke on my left is getting too close. There’s a car behind me that’s just overtaken six cars and is about to cut me off. Why’s there a man in the middle of the dual carriageway?”
He lasted an hour before deciding he would either cause an accident or face legal consequences. The chaos was not just reckless behavior—it was systemic. Drivers used their phones constantly, ignoring lanes and signals. Everyone seemed pressed for time, treating traffic laws as suggestions.
The experience left him with a new perspective on the challenges of handling unfamiliar roads.
Digital preview of automotive publications often highlight such firsthand accounts to give readers a clearer sense of driving conditions abroad.
