Baidu to trial robotaxi service in HK

Baidu, which currently runs the world’s biggest robotaxi fleet, is set to kick off trials of its robotaxi service, Apollo Go, in Hong Kong soon, local broadcaster TVB reported Monday.

The initial phase of trial will begin at the city’s airport by the end of this year. The service is already operational in over 10 cities across the Chinese mainland, including Beijing, Wuhan, Chongqing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai.

An Apollo Go robotaxi. File Photo

Last month, Baidu applied for a trial license for self-driving tests and an autonomous vehicle certificate from Hong Kong authorities, with the approval process still ongoing, as per the Hong Kong Transport Department. The department said it will apply strict scrutiny and facilitate the orderly and secure testing of autonomous vehicles in Hong Kong.

The first phase of testing, scheduled to start before the year-end, will be conducted during off-peak hours. A local driver with over a decade of driving experience will be designated as a backup operator, according to a government document cited in the report.

Baidu ventured into self-driving technology in 2013 and was among the first Chinese companies in this field. In May, the company unveiled its sixth-generation RT6 robotaxi, which is the world’s only Level 4 driverless car in mass production. Operating in full self-driving mode, the car allows human override as an option. Baidu’s CEO Robin Li revealed at the China 5G+ Industrial Internet Conference in Wuhan last week that the cost of making RT6 has been reduced drastically to around 250,000 yuan (US$34,500) each, a big leap for the company.

These new vehicles are slated to join the Apollo Go fleet, with plans to deploy 1,000 sixth-generation robotaxis in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, by the end of 2024. In June, Apollo Go initiated a fully driverless ride-hailing service in Wuhan.

Apollo Go provided 988,000 ride hails in the third quarter of 2024, up 20% year-on-year, according to Baidu’s third-quarter earnings report. As of Oct. 28, it has provided more than 8 million cumulative ride hailing services to the public.