Baidu, the Chinese internet giant and a leading autonomous driving technology developer, is poised to become the first company in China to demonstrate paid robotaxi services.
The program, approved by local traffic authorities, will dispatch 35 self-driving vehicles to pilot rides in the north China city of Cangzhou, Baidu said.
The company obtained clearance after completing a key requirement: 50,000 kilometers of robotaxi testing accompanied by safety drivers on open local roads with zero accidents, Baidu added.
Government approval will allow it to “explore various mechanisms for charging customers, such as discounts, trial tickets, and voluntary payments from riders,” the company noted.
Baidu has launched demonstration robotaxi programs in several Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. It expects to expand the program to include 30 cities in China over the next three years.
In January, it also obtained permission in California to test driverless vehicles on local roads.