Yesterday, leading tech company Baidu launched China’s first commercial fully autonomous taxi service.
10 of the company’s Apollo Go are now operating atBeijing’sShougang Park – one of the venues of the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics – covering a 3 square kilometer range with eight pick-up/drop-off stops, reportedShanghai Daily.
With no driver behind the wheel, Baidu aimsto deliver a real driverless experienceà la Waymo, although for now,a safety staff member occupies the front passenger seat to take over in case of an emergency.
Passengers can call a robotaxi via the Apollo Go App. They can locate it using virtual reality navigation and remote car honking. When the taxi arrives, they need toscan a QR code and a health code for identification and pandemic prevention purposes.
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The taxi will start its journey after the seatbelts are fastened and the doors are shut.
Each trip costs¥30 ($4.60),and anyone aged between 18 and 60 can hail a ride.
Apart from enabling transport services during the upcoming Winter Olympics, Baidu plans to expand its robotaxis in more Chinese cities.
With this move, the company is leaving its other Chinese competitors such as WeRide, Didi, and AutoX behind.
That also should help China rival the US in smart mobility, and hopefully further the country’s mission to tackle itssevere environmental pollution issues.
Do EVs excite your electrons? Do ebikes get your wheels spinning? Do self-driving cars get you all charged up?
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Story byIoanna Lykiardopoulou
Ioanna is a writer at TNW. She covers the full spectrum of the European tech ecosystem, with a particular interest in startups, sustainabili(show all)Ioanna is a writer at TNW. She covers the full spectrum of the European tech ecosystem, with a particular interest in startups, sustainability, green tech, AI, and EU policy. With a background in the humanities, she has a soft spot for social impact-enabling technologies.
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