- The start of round-the-clock operations comes as the third
major operational expansion of Baidu's robotaxi service in
2024.
- In Feb 2024, Baidu was approved
for robotaxi pilot operation on highways to Beijing Daxing Airport,
making Beijing the world's first
capital city to launch airport robotaxi service. In the same month,
Baidu also launched fully driverless service across the Yangtze
River in Wuhan, demonstrating its
technical sophistication in navigating challenging geographic
landscapes.
BEIJING, March 8,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU
and HKEX: 9888) ("Baidu" or the "Company"), a leading AI company
with strong internet foundation, proudly announced a significant
operation upgrade for Apollo Go, its autonomous ride-hailing
service platform. Apollo Go is now offering 24/7 autonomous driving
service in selected areas of Wuhan, becoming China's first provider to offer such
service.
This expansion to round-the-clock operations represents a
significant milestone for Apollo Go, providing non-stop autonomous
driving services for a wider range of needs and potential users.
The extended service hours accommodate users with nighttime travel
needs, ensuring a safer and more convenient service.
This 24/7 service expansion is just one of several operational
milestones Baidu has achieved in China. On February 27,
2024, Apollo Go launched fully driverless rides across the
challenging landscape of the Yangtze River, covering both the north
and south banks across the Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge and
Wuhan Baishazhou Bridge. Previously, in August 2023, Baidu introduced driverless airport
transportation services in Wuhan,
establishing itself as China's
pioneer in providing autonomous rides to and from airports,
seamlessly connecting urban roads and highways. On February 23, 2024, Apollo Go unveiled a similar
service in Beijing, as Baidu was
approved for robotaxi pilot operation on highways to Beijing Daxing
Airport.
Wuhan is one of the world's
leading cities in implementing intelligent transportation. By the
end of 2023, the total test mileage run by autonomous vehicles in
the city has exceeded 3,378.73 kilometers, covering an area of
about 3,000 square kilometers and a population of over 7.7 million.
Apollo Go currently operates a total of 300 fully driverless
vehicles in Wuhan.
In honor of International Women's Day, Baidu's Apollo Go has
introduced a special campaign offering female users up to two
orders for priority service during late-night hours (from
23:00 to 6:00 the next morning) coupled with intelligent in-car
voice service. Apollo Go's user-first operation ethos has earned
strong customer trust, winning an impressive 97.12% five-star
reviews on the app.
Apollo Go has provided over 5 million cumulative rides as of
January 2024. Today, Baidu and Apollo
Go are actively working to bring fully autonomous ride hailing
services to an even wider range of locations and users. Apollo Go
currently offers robotaxi services in over 10 cities in
China, standing out as the first
company to provide fully driverless robotaxi service in cities
including Beijing, Wuhan, Shenzhen, and Chongqing.
About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu's mission is to make the complicated
world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company
with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under "BIDU"
and HKEX under "9888." One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A
ordinary shares.
Media Contact
Intlcomm@baidu.com
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SOURCE Baidu, Inc.