Baidu Apollo, Pony.ai greenlighted for paid Robotaxi service in Beijing

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Beijing opens first demonstration zone for commercial autonomous driving service in China, and granted permission for two companies to launch paid autonomous driving service within the zone. 

Photo credit: Baidu Apollo

Beijing High-level Automated Driving Demonstration Area (BJHAD) greenlighted Baidu and Pony.ai to conduct commercial operations for service charges on the open roads in the designated zone within E-Town. 

The designated zone covers 60 square kilometers of commercial and residential areas, with over 600 pick-up and drop-off points from Apollo Go. A total of 67 autonomous Robotaxis will operate on 350 km of open roads. Users can call for a ride from 7 am to 10 pm every day via the Apollo Go App.

Photo credit: Baidu Apollo

In addition, with Baidu's Apollo Go trial operation being a success, the company intends to expand its Robotaxi fleet to meet the commute demands of local residents. "The operational area is also due to expand", Baidu added.

According to the company's third-quarter performance report, from July to September, Baidu's Apollo Go managed to provide 115,000 rides in total, leading the world's autonomous ride-hailing service field. The L4 featured Apollo vehicles accumulated over 10 million annual testing miles by September, soaring 189% from a year ago.

Moreover, the company has set a target of branching out its Apollo Go service into 65 Chinese cities by 2025 and 100 cities by 2030.