Baidu to put next-generation RT6 robocar into ride-hailing service in 2023, potentially slashing fares by half

The Apollo RT6 robocar is fitted with Level 4 autonomous driving system, which does not require human intervention in most circumstances

Baidu unveiled the robobar at the Baidu World 2022 conference this week and aims to put as many as 100,000 into its Apollo Go ride-hailing service from 2023

2-MIN READ2-MIN

The Apollo RT6 is designed for fully autonomous driving with detachable steering wheel. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:30pm, 21 Jul 2022

Baidu, China’s leading internet search engine and artificial intelligence group, plans to deploy as many as 100,000 next-generation autonomous taxis from next year, helping passengers trim half of their ride-hailing costs.

The Apollo RT6 robocar, fitted with Level 4 (L4) autonomous driving system, has a production cost of 250,000 yuan (US$36,967) per unit, or about half the cost of existing vehicles used in the country’s driverless cab services sector.

“This massive cost reduction will enable us to deploy tens of thousands of autonomous vehicles across China,” said Robin Li, co-founder and CEO of Baidu. “We are moving towards a future where taking a robotaxi will be half the cost of taking a taxi today.”

Baidu aims to expand its ride-hailing service to 65 cities by 2025 and 100 cities by 2030. The company and autonomous driving technology company Pony.ai in November became the first two operators to receive the green light to charge passengers using their driverless cabs in China. They can collect fees on robotaxis in a designated area covering 60 square kilometres in the capital Beijing.

Baidu’s Apollo RT6 robotaxi is expected to hit the streets in mainland China from next year. Photo: Handout

A passenger taking a Apollo Go taxi pays just several yuan per ride as Baidu offers huge discounts to promote its driverless ride-hailing service. A conventional taxi in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai costs more than 2 yuan per km on average.