The start of round-the-clock operations comes as the third major operational expansion of Baidu’s robotaxi service in 2024. In Feb 2024, Baidu was approved for robotaxi pilot operation on highways to Beijing Daxing Airport, making Beijing the world’s first capital city to launch airport robotaxi service. In the same month, Baidu also launched fully driverless service across the Yangtze River in Wuhan, demonstrating its technical sophistication in navigating challenging geographic landscapes.
BEIJING, March 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) ("Baidu" or the "Company"), a leading AI company with strong internet foundation, proudly announced a significant operation upgrade for Apollo Go, its autonomous ride-hailing service platform. Apollo Go is now offering 24/7 autonomous driving service in selected areas of Wuhan, becoming China’s first provider to offer such service.
This expansion to round-the-clock operations represents a significant milestone for Apollo Go, providing non-stop autonomous driving services for a wider range of needs and potential users. The extended service hours accommodate users with nighttime travel needs, ensuring a safer and more convenient service.
An Apollo Go user on a nighttime ride in a fully driverless vehicle
This 24/7 service expansion is just one of several operational milestones Baidu has achieved in China. On February 27, 2024, Apollo Go launched fully driverless rides across the challenging landscape of the Yangtze River, covering both the north and south banks across the Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge and Wuhan Baishazhou Bridge. Previously, in August 2023, Baidu introduced driverless airport transportation services in Wuhan, establishing itself as China’s pioneer in providing autonomous rides to and from airports, seamlessly connecting urban roads and highways. On February 23, 2024, Apollo Go unveiled a similar service in Beijing, as Baidu was approved for robotaxi pilot operation on highways to Beijing Daxing Airport.
Wuhan is one of the world’s leading cities in implementing intelligent transportation. By the end of 2023, the total test mileage run by autonomous vehicles in the city has exceeded 3,378.73 kilometers, covering an area of about 3,000 square kilometers and a population of over 7.7 million. Apollo Go currently operates a total of 300 fully driverless vehicles in Wuhan.
In honor of International Women’s Day, Baidu’s Apollo Go has introduced a special campaign offering female users up to two orders for priority service during late-night hours (from 23:00 to 6:00 the next morning) coupled with intelligent in-car voice service. Apollo Go’s user-first operation ethos has earned strong customer trust, winning an impressive 97.12% five-star reviews on the app.
Apollo Go has provided over 5 million cumulative rides as of January 2024. Today, Baidu and Apollo Go are actively working to bring fully autonomous ride hailing services to an even wider range of locations and users. Apollo Go currently offers robotaxi services in over 10 cities in China, standing out as the first company to provide fully driverless robotaxi service in cities including Beijing, Wuhan, Shenzhen, and Chongqing.
About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under "BIDU" and HKEX under "9888." One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.
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