Baidu gets commercial license for autonomous ride-hailing in Shenzhen

Baidu, a Chinese artificial intelligence company, has secured licensing for the commercial operation of its fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Shenzhen, making it the fourth city in China to host such a service, after Wuhan, Chongqing, and Beijing.

The license allows Baidu‘s Apollo Go robotaxis to operate driverless, without a safety operator in the car, in a 188 square kilometer area in Shenzhen from 7:00 AM to 10:00PM daily. The service is accessible via the Apollo Go app, Baidu Maps, Baidu App, and other platforms, signifying a significant extension of Baidu’s commercial driverless ride-hailing operations across the nation.

This expansion builds on Baidu’s groundbreaking move in August 2022 when it received China’s first-ever permit for public commercial operation of fully autonomous robotaxis on open roads. The service commenced in Chongqing and Wuhan, two of China’s megacities.

In 2023, Baidu aims to operate an additional 200 fully autonomous robotaxis and manage the world’s largest driverless ride-hailing area, supporting the swift, high-quality growth of China’s autonomous driving industry.

Baidu secures commercial license for fully driverless ride-hailing in Shenzhen, boosting China’s autonomous driving industry. Photo courtesy of Baidu, Inc./PRNewswire.

Apollo Go has been well-received by users, scoring an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 on its app in Q1 2023, with 97.12% of users awarding the full 5 points. Its active user base and user engagement have grown rapidly in 2022, doubling its active users and seeing an 8.06% increase in users who took rides more than four days per month compared to the previous year. Over two million rides were completed by Q1 2023, making Apollo Go the largest autonomous ride-hailing service provider in the world.

The approval of Apollo Go’s operations in Shenzhen, a city known for its innovative intelligent vehicle industry, promises to invigorate this vibrant sector and bolster the local industry ecosystem. Baidu, through Apollo Go, is committed to enhancing its service capabilities, improving the user experience, and speeding up the commercialization of autonomous driving.

With its focus on innovation and excellence in autonomous driving technology, Baidu is poised to fortify its position as a major contributor to China’s intelligent transportation industry.