Baidu claims its robotaxis rival traditional ride-hailing in parts of China
Summary
Baidu got approval to charge fares for its robotaxi rides in the Beijing suburb of Yizhuang in November 2021. BEIJING — Chinese tech company Baidu said its robotaxi business in large cities is close to gaining the same traction with locals as traditional ride-hailing services. During the third quarter, each of Baidus self-driving taxis completed an average of more than 15 rides a day in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, CEO Robin Li said Tuesday, according to a FactSet transcript of the earnings call. "According to our knowledge, this number is quite close to the average daily rides for traditional ride-hailing services," Li said. For comparison, trips per active vehicle on ride-hailing apps in New York City averaged about 12 a day in September, according to the latest available municipal data.