BEIJING, Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu
(NASDAQ:BIDU) today launched the Apollo Go Robotaxi service in
Beijing, becoming the first
company to allow people in China's
capital to use robotaxis. The service encompasses the largest total
area and longest road network of about 700 kilometers for a manned
autonomous driving test area in China, with nearly 100 pick-up and drop-off
stations covering residential and business areas in Yizhuang,
Haidian, and Shunyi districts.
The launch event was held at Apollo Park, the world's largest
autonomous driving and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) test base and
one of the Apollo Go stations, located in the Beijing
Economic-Technological Development Area. As the first company to
provide robotaxi service in Beijing, Apollo Go will launch 40 vehicles.
Beijing users can experience the
Apollo Go Robotaxi service after registering on Baidu Maps or the
Apollo website. In addition to Beijing, Apollo Go has opened services to the
public in cities including Changsha and Cangzhou, making Baidu the only
company with robotaxi pilot operations in multiple cities across
China.
"Baidu Apollo will continue pushing for the commercial
application of autonomous driving. With our technology and platform
advantages, we will contribute more to the development of
autonomous driving and smart transportation in Beijing and support the city to become a
world-leading AI innovation hub," said Zhenyu Li, Corporate Vice President of Baidu and
General Manager of Intelligent Driving Group (IDG).
Beijing, the technology and
innovation center of China, is a
strategic location for AI and autonomous driving development. As
the first city in China to
regulate and open autonomous driving road test zones, Beijing has comprehensive infrastructure and
policies to foster high-speed development of the industry. In 2019,
Beijing ranked first in
China for numbers of test licenses
and vehicle categories, as well as diversity of test scenarios. In
addition, Beijing has issued the
most stringent safety requirements for manned autonomous driving
tests in China to ensure the
safety and reliability of the industry.
Beijing has also been an
important city for Baidu's development of cutting-edge autonomous
driving technology, with Baidu beginning its innovation in the
field in Beijing in 2013. In
December 2019, Baidu Apollo claimed
40 of the first batch of manned autonomous driving test licenses
issued by the city. After eight months of small-scale manned
testing, the Baidu Apollo robotaxi fleet has completed road tests
totaling 519,000 kilometers in Beijing and obtained permission to enter the
next stage: opening up to the general public. According to the 2018
and 2019 editions of the Beijing Autonomous Vehicles Road Test
Report, Baidu topped industry peers with the largest fleet of test
vehicles, highest total mileage, and most diverse test
scenarios.
The launch of Apollo Go Robotaxi service in Beijing marks a new stage of autonomous
driving development for both Baidu and Beijing. Manned road tests are key for
progressing from the research and development stage to the
large-scale application of autonomous driving. In the future, Baidu
will strive to bring the technology to new heights and a wider
range of users.
About Baidu
Baidu, Inc. is a leading search engine, knowledge and
information centered Internet platform and AI company. The
Company's mission is to make the complicated world simpler through
technology. Baidu's ADSs trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market
under the symbol "BIDU". Currently, ten ADSs represent one Class A
ordinary share.
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SOURCE Baidu, Inc.