Bloomberg reports that Baidu Inc. (BIDU), a leading tech giant from mainland China, has secured the first license from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to test autonomous vehicles within the city. This move signifies Baidu’s ambition to broaden its footprint in autonomous driving technology outside of mainland China.
The license allows Baidu’s Apollo International unit to deploy a trial involving 10 autonomous vehicles specifically in the North Lantau area, as confirmed by HKSAR’s Transport Department. This development underscores Baidu’s commitment to advancing its capabilities in AI, particularly in autonomous driving and machine learning, which are pivotal to its strategic growth.
Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service, “Apollo Go,” has been making significant strides. It introduced an affordable robotaxi model in May, targeting profitability by next year. The service has also shared plans to deploy 1,000 robotaxis in Wuhan by the end of 2024. This initiative not only showcases Baidu’s technological prowess but also its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving autonomous vehicle market.
Furthermore, Baidu’s collaboration with Tesla Inc. (TSLA), announced in April, to integrate its maps into Tesla’s self-driving systems in mainland China, highlights a synergistic approach to enhancing vehicle autonomy. This partnership could potentially elevate the functionality and reliability of self-driving cars by leveraging Baidu’s mapping technology.
The expansion into Hong Kong by Baidu, through Apollo Go, is part of a broader vision to extend the benefits of AI and autonomous driving technologies globally. A spokesperson from Apollo Go expressed optimism about sharing these technological advancements with more countries and regions, aiming to foster a future where autonomous vehicles are a common reality.
This strategic expansion into Hong Kong not only tests Baidu’s technological capabilities in a new regulatory environment but also positions the company to tap into the global market, potentially setting a precedent for other regions to follow.
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