Baidu to Launch Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service in Zhejiang

Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service will officially land in a popular hotspot in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province on Saturday.

The Wuzhen operation will include 84 pick-up and drop-off stations in the early stages and will be open for use from 9: 00 to 17: 00. Passengers will be able to access the service via the Apollo Go App.

Tongxiang, the city in which Wuzhen is located, is a strategic area for the innovation and development of the autonomous driving industry. Wuzhen, in particular, has attracted many technology companies related to the intelligent automobile industry to settle down, forming an ecosystem ranging from key components to software development and vehicle-road coordination.

Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service provided around 213,000 rides in the fourth quarter of 2021, making Baidu the world’s largest autonomous mobility service provider.

Up to now, Baidu Apollo’s L4 autonomous vehicles have driven 25 million kms (15.5 million miles), with 593 autonomous driving permits in China, including 398 for carrying passengers. The service can now be found in 9 Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and is conducting commercial operations in Beijing, Chongqing, Yangquan.

SEE ALSO: Baidu Apollo’s L4 Autonomous Vehicles Reach 15.5 Million Miles

Baidu‘s chairman Robin Li previously noted during Baidu Create 2021 that he hopes to expand the company’s autonomous driving services to 65 cities by 2025 and 100 cities by 2030.