Baidu bags China’s first fully driverless robotaxi licenses, Auto News, ET Auto

BEIJING – China search engine large Baidu Inc stated on Monday it has obtained permits to function absolutely driverless robotaxi providers on open roads from two Chinese language cities, the primary of their variety within the nation.

The permits, awarded by the southwestern municipality of Chongqing and the central metropolis of Wuhan, permit business robotaxis to supply rides to the general public with out human security drivers within the automotive. They arrive into impact on Monday.

Baidu stated they marked a “turning level” in China’s policy-making in direction of autonomous driving.

“These permits have deep significance for the business,” Wei Dong, chief security operation officer of Baidu’s Clever Driving Group, advised Reuters in an interview. “If we consider the exploration of area, this second is the same as touchdown on the moon.”

At first, Baidu will deploy a batch of 5 fee-charging robotaxis in every metropolis, the place they are going to be allowed to function in designated areas from 9 a.m. to five p.m. in Wuhan and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Chongqing, the corporate stated in a press release.

The service areas span 30 sq. km (11.58 sq. miles) in Chongqing’s Yongchuan District and 13 sq km within the Wuhan Financial & Technological Improvement Zone.

In April, Baidu’s Apollo and Toyota Motor Corp-backed Pony.ai stated that they obtained permits in Beijing to deploy robotaxis with out security drivers within the driver’s seat on open roads inside a 60 sq km space. However the Beijing permits nonetheless require them to have a security driver within the passenger seat. These providers have began.

Baidu can be in talks with native governments in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, to safe licenses inside a 12 months to check fully-driverless and unpaid robotaxis in these cities, in line with Wei.

China’s efforts to fast-track autonomous automobile trials and permits come as U.S. regulators are additionally pushing forward with milestone-setting autonomous driving insurance policies.

In January, self-driving firm Cruise obtained a allow from the California Public Utilities Fee that enables it to supply paid and absolutely driverless rides from 10 p.m. to six a.m. in choose streets in San Francisco.

Apollo Go, Baidu’s robotaxi service, has operated over 1 million rides throughout 10 Chinese language cities since its launch in 2020. Baidu has not reported any issues with the service and has not given a breakdown for a way a lot it has invested within the undertaking.