Baidu Apollo Go approved for trial operation of unmanned commercial Robotaxi service in Beijing

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Baidu's Robotaxi service, known as Apollo Go, recently received the green light to conduct paid unmanned Robotaxi trial service to the public in Beijing. 

Photo credit: Baidu

This development marks a significant step for Apollo Go as it officially enters a new phase of commercial exploration in the field of autonomous driving with no safety operators inside the vehicle.

Under the newly approved initiative, Apollo Go will conduct commercial trials of unmanned Robotaxi services within a specified area in Beijing's Yizhuang region. This will allow residents to access autonomous driving services with no safety operators onboard the vehicle for a fee. Users can summon an Apollo Go Robotaxi with unmanned capabilities through various platforms, including the Apollo Go App, Baidu Maps, and the Baidu App. 

Leveraging the policy advantages of Beijing's Yizhuang area, Baidu's Apollo Go aims to integrate its extensive experience in passenger-carrying demonstrations accumulated during prior testing phases in Yizhuang with service demonstrations from over a dozen cities nationwide. This synergy will drive continuous technological innovation, ensuring safe and reliable unmanned driving services for users.

As the world's largest autonomous driving service provider, Baidu's Apollo Go has already processed over 3.3 million ride orders, achieving an impressive user satisfaction rating of 4.9 out of 5. Notably, 97.12% of user reviews on the Apollo Go App are five-star ratings, said Baidu.

Today, Baidu Apollo is aggressively advancing the widespread application of fully unmanned autonomous driving. Apollo Go is currently providing autonomous driving services in more than ten cities across China and is the first company to initiate unmanned commercial pilot operations in Wuhan, Chongqing, Shenzhen, and Beijing.