Baidu Apollo is to deploy CAVs in Guangzhou, China, developing an intelligent transport network in the city, including robotaxi operations, 5G-powered robobuses for public transportation, C-V2X technologies, and bus rapid transit systems.
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for contactless technologies, and Baidu Apollo is accelerating its plans to fuse autonomous vehicles into people’s everyday lives. On 19 April, Baidu Apollo fully rolled out robotaxi services to the public in Changsha, capital city of Hunan Province. Since then, residents have been able to order Apollo Go robotaxis on Baidu Maps and Baidu App’s Smart Mini Program Dutaxi. In August, Baidu opened the Apollo Go Robotaxi service in Cangzhou, Hebei province. This opening marked the first time robotaxi coverage extended to the downtown area of a city in China.
“Guangzhou has long led the way for Chinese technology innovation, and the Guangzhou Development District is the core hinterland of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. At the new beginning of the age of AI, Guangzhou is again at the forefront in the country,” says Baidu co-founder, chairman, and CEO Robin Li (above). “Building confidence with digital technologies, and creating future with intelligence. Baidu, Guangzhou, and Guangzhou Development District will cooperate in fields including autonomous driving, smart vehicle connectivity, and intelligent transportation. We will provide the most innovative technologies, and with Guangzhou, we will build the new height for AI application, the new benchmark for intelligent transportation development, and the new model for intelligent economic development.”
Baidu Apollo is also making strides in smart transportation by providing local cities with V2X infrastructure, which supports add-on features, including smart signalling, smart parking and smart buses.
As of July 2020, Baidu Apollo has surpassed 6 million kilometers in urban road testing, with a fleet of more than 500 test vehicles across 24 cities worldwide. Additionally, Baidu Apollo has secured 150 licenses issued for self-driving testing, 120 of which permit its autonomous vehicles to carry passengers.
