Apollo Go News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A Journey in one of Pony.ai’s robotaxis is, in some respects, a familiar experience for anyone who has ridden in a cab in China. For one thing, the horn honks just as often.

BEIJING — Chinese tech company Baidu's robotaxi unit, Apollo Go, is in talks with several firms to expand into overseas markets in the «near future,» according to a source familiar with the matter.

ride-hailing drivers are facing the threat of job loss from artificial intelligence as robotaxis begin to proliferate. Self-driving technology, still experimental, is being aggressively greenlit in China compared to the US, where approvals are often suspended after accidents. At least 19 Chinese cities are testing robotaxis and robobuses, with seven cities approving tests without human-driver monitors from at least five industry leaders: Apollo Go, Pony.ai, WeRide, AutoX, and SAIC Motor. Apollo Go, a subsidiary of technology giant Baidu, plans to deploy 1,000 robotaxis in Wuhan by year-end and operate in 100 cities by 2030. Pony.ai, backed by Japan's Toyota Motor, operates 300 robotaxis with plans to increase to 1,000 by 2026. WeRide is known for autonomous taxis, vans, buses, and street sweepers, while AutoX, backed by Alibaba Group, operates in cities including Beijing and Shanghai. SAIC Motor has been operating robotaxis since 2021. In the US, Alphabet's Waymo operates uncrewed robotaxis that collect fares, with over 1,000 cars in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Cruise, backed by General Motors, resumed testing in April after an accident last year.

China's 7 million ride-hailing drivers. A 36-year-old Wuhan resident, he started driving part-time this year when construction work slowed in the face of a nationwide glut of unsold apartments. Now he predicts another crisis as he stands next to his car watching neighbours order driverless taxis. «Everyone will go hungry,» he said of Wuhan drivers competing against robotaxis from Apollo Go, a subsidiary of technology giant Baidu.

BEIJING — China's yearslong effort to develop robotaxis is starting to gain traction with consumers — but it's also rattling taxi drivers worried about losing their jobs as a result of increasing competition.

A driverless ride-hailing car in China hit a pedestrian, and people on social media are taking the carmaker’s side, because the person was reportedly crossing against the light

BEIJING — In less than two years, Chinese tech giant Baidu's robotaxis have grabbed about 10% of the ride-hailing market in a suburb of Beijing city, the company said during an earnings call Tuesday.

BEIJING — Chinese tech giant Baidu announced Thursday it has cut the price of its robotaxi vehicles by nearly half, lowering costs for a nascent business.