Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888), a leading AI and internet company, has become the first to receive permits to operate a fully driverless ride-hailing service in Beijing, marking a global milestone as the first fully driverless fleet in the capital city of any country.
With this approval, users in Beijing, Wuhan, and Chongqing can now access Baidu’s fully driverless robotaxi services, making these three cities the pioneers in China for autonomous ride-hailing.
Baidu Apollo, the company’s autonomous driving division, will deploy 10 driverless vehicles in the Yizhuang Economic Development Zone in Beijing, a key hub for autonomous driving development in China.
Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, Apollo Go, currently averages over 20 rides per vehicle per day in Yizhuang, surpassing the typical ride volume of conventional online ride-hailing services.
Beijing’s 2023 Municipal Government Work Report outlines plans to expand the Beijing High-Level Automated Demonstration Area (BJHAD) in Yizhuang from its current 60 square kilometers to a projected 500 square kilometers.
The city is also exploring autonomous driving routes connecting the Yizhuang Economic Development Zone with Beijing’s nearby airport to enable commercial autonomous logistics services for the broader Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Baidu’s advancements in fully driverless services stem from a decade of research and development in autonomous driving, positioning it as a leader in the global market according to Guidehouse Insights Leaderboard in Q1 2023.
Since 2013, Baidu has logged over 50 million kilometers in Level 4 autonomous driving tests and holds more than 4,600 patent families, including the largest number of high-level autonomous driving patents worldwide.
Apollo Go, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service, has achieved significant growth, providing 561,000 rides in Q4 2022—a 162% year-over-year increase. By the end of January 2023, the cumulative number of rides exceeded 2 million, making Baidu the world’s largest autonomous ride-hailing provider.
Baidu aims to create the world’s largest fully driverless ride-hailing area in 2023, building on its recent achievements in gaining government permits and expanding its operational footprint.
Baidu’s pioneering efforts in autonomous driving technology continue to break new ground, solidifying its status as a global leader in the driverless mobility sector.
