Baidu gets first permits in China to operate fully driverless robotaxi services
STOCKS
Baidu gets first permits in China to operate fully driverless robotaxi services
STOCKS

Baidu gets first permits in China to operate fully driverless robotaxi services

 

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China search engine giant Baidu Inc said on Monday it has secured permits to operate fully driverless robotaxi services on open roads from two Chinese cities, the first of their kind in the country.

Appolo Go, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service, is now authoriized to collect fares for robotaxi rides – completely without human drivers in the car – in Chongqing and Wuhan, two of China’s largest megacities, Baidu said.

That marked a “turning point” for the future of mobility in China, leading to a neventual expansion of driverless ride hailing services to paying users across the country, it said.

At first, Baidu will deploy a batch of five fee-charging robotaxis in each city, where they will be allowed to operate in designated areas from 9 am to 5 pm in Wuhan and 9:30 am to 4:30 pm in Chongqing, the company said. The service areas span 30 square km (11.58 square miles) in Chongqing’s Yongchuan District and 13 sq km in the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone.

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