Baidu is planning to expand its Apollo Go robotaxi service outside of China, according to a report from Nikkei Asia. The Chinese tech company is in talks with foreign automakers, ride-sharing platforms, and tech firms to launch its autonomous taxi service abroad through local partnerships, sources familiar with the matter said.
While the timing and location of these operations remain undecided, the report suggests it is unlikely that Chinese robotaxi services will enter the U.S. market, given recent restrictions. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced in September plans to ban Chinese self-driving car software and hardware, with a software ban beginning in 2027 and a hardware ban starting in 2030.
Baidu, which has been involved in self-driving technology since 2013, launched its sixth-generation robotaxi earlier this year, with plans to deploy 1,000 units by the end of 2024 in China. Apollo Go is currently operational in over 10 Chinese cities and provided nearly 900,000 rides in the second quarter of 2024, marking a 26% year-on-year increase.
Other Chinese self-driving companies, such as Pony.ai and WeRide, are also expanding their robotaxi operations globally, targeting regions like Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.