Baidu, often dubbed “China’s Google,” is aggressively pushing forward in the autonomous driving arena with its robotaxi service, Apollo Go. At the recent Baidu World Conference, the company announced that Apollo Go is now completing over 250,000 fully driverless rides weekly, a significant milestone achieved without any safety drivers onboard. The global total for Apollo Go exceeds 17 million rides, placing it at the forefront of autonomous ride-hailing services worldwide.
Baidu founder Robin Li boldly projected that by 2030, the operational cost of robotaxis in the United States could plummet to a mere $0.25 per mile. This dramatic decrease would trigger a five to sevenfold surge in ride-hailing demand, according to Li. He envisions driverless vehicles evolving into “new mobile living spaces,” unlocking unprecedented possibilities beyond simple transportation.
Apollo Go’s robotaxi network has expanded rapidly to 22 cities globally. These include major hubs within China like Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, as well as international cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The service recently showcased its capabilities during a live demonstration at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, offering shuttle services for tourists from around the world.
Safety is paramount for Apollo Go. The company boasts that its fully driverless vehicles average 10.14 million kilometers of operation before deploying even a single airbag. Li emphasized this impressive figure surpasses both human drivers and Waymo, another major player in autonomous driving.
Apollo Go’s recent growth trajectory is nothing short of explosive. In the mere three months between Baidu’s last earnings report and October 31st, Apollo Go completed over 3 million rides – a near 50% increase compared to the previous quarter. This accelerated expansion comes after significant cost reductions in its sixth-generation driverless vehicles. Last year, the price per vehicle dropped dramatically from millions of dollars down to 204,600 yuan (around $28,600 USD).
The company’s operational base in Wuhan is nearing profitability thanks to expanding service areas and efficiency gains. Riding this wave of momentum, Apollo Go aims to reach profitability by 2025.
While Baidu focuses heavily on international expansion, especially within Asia, Waymo, its primary competitor, concentrates primarily on the United States market. This contrasting strategy might give Apollo Go a significant edge in the long run, particularly as global demand for autonomous ride-hailing services is expected to skyrocket.
