Baidu has secured approval to test its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Hong Kong, extending its autonomous vehicle operations beyond mainland China.
As reported by Reuters, Baidu has received significant regulatory approval to test its Apollo Go robotaxis in Hong Kong, marking the first time the company’s autonomous vehicles will operate outside mainland China.
The Hong Kong Transport Department issued a five-year license, valid from December 9, 2024, to December 8, 2029, permitting initial testing with one autonomous vehicle at a time in the North Lantau area. In total, the company is allowed to test the operations of 10 robotaxis during the given period. Within the initial phase, the robocar will operate with a backup safety driver to ensure security for other drivers and pedestrians.
This development aligns with Hong Kong’s efforts to promote autonomous vehicle technology, supported by new regulations enacted in March 2024. The trials will evaluate Baidu’s technology’s adaptability in a dense and dynamic urban environment, a critical step toward global expansion.
Baidu’s Apollo Go is already a leading autonomous ride-hailing platform in China, completing over 8 million rides as of late October 2024, with a growing share of fully driverless operations.
The company has its largest fleet of more than 500 vehicles in central China’s Wuhan city. Autonomous rides are gaining traction there not only due to their novelty but also thanks to utter affordability. To compare, base fares for a driverless ride start as low as 4 yuan (55 cents), vs 18 yuan ($2.48) for a taxi driven by a human.
Baidu plans to leverage the Hong Kong trials for future robotaxi rollouts in markets like Singapore and the Middle East, positioning itself in the competitive landscape of autonomous mobility.
“Apollo Go looks forward to bringing the benefit of AI and autonomous driving technology to more countries and regions,” said a spokesperson for the autonomous taxi service. “This marks an important milestone in our journey towards globalization.”
Baidu is constantly upgrading its proprietary AI technology, presenting the most advanced tools this November. The company unveiled an upgraded version of its AI model, Ernie 4.0 Turbo, as well as updates to its broader AI ecosystem, particularly the PaddlePaddle platform, which supports millions of developers and hundreds of thousands of businesses.
