Apollo Go

2021

Beijing launch, prices

At the end of November 2021, Baidu received permission to launch paid driverless robotaxi services, in which the company will use no more than 100 cars in one of the districts of the Chinese capital of Beijing, and also revealed the prices of the service. The company said in a statement that this will be the first commercial deployment of the Apollo Go service on open roads.

For the first time, a large city in the country allowed the operator to charge customers for unmanned taxi trips, customers will be able to call one of 67 daily service cars at more than 600 reception and landing points in commercial and residential areas of Beijing. Apollo Go robotaxi service began its work in the suburban area of ​ ​ Beijing, Yizhuang. Baidu did not disclose the exact prices for trips, but it became known that the fares will be comparable to the premium fares of the Didi taxi service. Many large companies are located in the Yizhuang area itself, including JD headquarters, and the region itself is located about 30 minutes from Beijing.

Baidu launches paid robotaxi in Beijing

In the application of the Luobo Kuaipao service from Baidu, it is proposed to pay $5.31 for a trip of 3 km, the same trip will cost $2.20 in the Didi application, while for those who choose a premium fare, the trip will be twice as expensive. Baidu launched free trips to robotaxi in Yizhuang in October 2020. According to the company, more than 20 thousand passengers used the service as of November 2021, each of them ordered at least 10 trips per month. The company intends to launch the Apollo Go service in 65 cities by 2025 and in 100 cities by 2030, as noted by Baidu CEO Robin Lee.

According to Baidu, its robotaxi cars have reached the fourth level of automation according to the classification, a society of automotive engineers, which requires that a driver be driving a self-driving car, but the company's ultimate goal is to launch a fully autonomous robotaxi. Automakers and technology companies are investing billions in autonomous driving around the world, seeking to take a leading place.^[1]

Full-fledged launch of robotaxi service in China

On May 2, 2021, the official launch of China's first paid unmanned taxi service, Apollo Go, took place. Previously, it worked in test mode and was available to a limited number of users, and now everyone from 18 to 60 years old can use it.

Cars in Apollo Go are completely self-driving - there is no person driving, control of the vehicle is carried out remotely from a special center. In case of emergency, Baidu specialists take over remote control of the car. If necessary, the passenger can contact the 5G cellular operator.

The fare is 30 yuan (about $4.5). You can order an unmanned taxi in a mobile application. Before boarding, the passenger undergoes an identification procedure.

The launch of China's first paid taxi service without Apollo Go drivers took place

When an unmanned taxi arrives, passengers take their seats, but the car will begin to move only after everyone has fastened their seat belts and the doors are closed.

By early May 2021, there are 10 robotaxis in Apollo Go Park, and the coverage area of ​ ​ the service is small - drones run only in Shugang Park, where the Winter Olympic Games will also be held in 2022. So far, you can get to the gyms, cafes, hotels and work areas that are in the park. During the Olympics, the service will be used to transport athletes and personnel serving the event.

As noted in Baidu, traffic in Shugang Park is not very intense. However, unmanned vehicles constantly have to avoid pedestrians walking along the roadway and curious ones who want to photograph the novelty near.

Before the commercial launch, the Baidu unmanned taxi service actively tested it and transported 210 thousand passengers to them. Within three years, the company expects to launch Apollo Go in 30 Chinese cities.^[2]

2020: Launch of Apollo Go robotaxi service in Beijing

On September 11, 2020, it became known that Baidu launched the Apollo Go robotics service in Beijing. Apollo Go is the first taxi ordering service with unmanned vehicles, which will begin to work in the capital of China.

The Apollo Go service area in the metropolis covers 700 km of roads with 100 landing and landing stations, which will be located in several residential and business areas. The company noted that the developed service serves the largest road network in the country, if we consider all pilot projects for testing unmanned vehicles in China.

It is known that initially the fleet of Apollo Go cars in the capital will be 40 vehicles, while at the initial stages drivers will be driving vehicles for insurance. Baidu aims to eventually release autonomous robotaxis on the roads.

Baidu launches Apollo Go robotaxi service in Chinese capital

Passengers can order a trip by unmanned car Apollo Go through the official Apollo website or the Baidu Maps application. Apollo Go robotaxi will run in the test zone, which includes the main residential and business zones of Beijing - Shunyi, Yizhuang, Haidian.

Testing of unmanned vehicles in Beijing started in December 2019. Over the past eight months, cars have successfully covered approximately 519 thousand km, after which Baidu received permission from regulators to launch the Apollo Go service for the general public.

Unmanned taxi can cope with many difficult situations on the road. The vehicle may turn left, provided there are no traffic lights and signs. This is one of the most difficult techniques for self-driving cars.

Baidu Vice President Li Zhenyu noted that the company will continue to promote the commercial use of autonomous driving and is committed to making an even greater contribution to the development of smart transport in the city.^[3]

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