Beijing, China, March 14, 2025 — The global transportation landscape is being revolutionized by artificial intelligence, with autonomous driving technology rapidly advancing. Companies like Waymo (Google) and Baidu’s Apollo Go are at the forefront of this shift.
Waymo, a leading autonomous driving company, has launched commercial services in four major U.S. cities. It is providing roughly 150,000 rides each week and is looking to expand with tests in over 10 new cities, starting with Las Vegas and San Diego.
Baidu’s Apollo Go has emerged as a leader in China’s autonomous ride-hailing sector. As of February 2025, Apollo Go has achieved full driverless operation throughout China, removing the need for safety drivers.
Baidu reports that Apollo Go completed 1.1 million rides in Q4 2024, averaging about 12,000 rides daily, positioning it among the world’s largest commercial autonomous ride-hailing services. Both Waymo and Apollo Go are pushing the boundaries of AI-driven mobility in the U.S. and China.
Efficient operations are crucial as autonomous driving scales to tens of thousands of rides per day. The RT6, equipped with advanced battery-swapping technology that allows recharging in under four minutes, is a key component of Apollo Go’s high-efficiency deployment. This quick turnaround enables each vehicle to serve more passengers, allowing Apollo Go to provide competitive and scalable services across more locations.
Autonomous mobility is attracting considerable public and private investment worldwide. Apollo Go received Hong Kong’s first autonomous vehicle pilot licenses in 2024, according to the Hong Kong Transport Department, marking its initial foray into right-hand drive markets. These markets, including the UK, Singapore, Japan, and Australia, account for a third of the global automotive market.
Waymo recently announced a partnership with Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo’s largest taxi company, and GO to introduce autonomous vehicles in Tokyo, with the initial fleet expected in 2025.
At the World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai, Baidu CEO Robin Li emphasized the long-term advantages of AI in transportation. The UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence suggested using a fully autonomous vehicle fleet for future WGS events, potentially leveraging Apollo Go’s technology. As cities globally increase the adoption of autonomous driving, it’s becoming a key investment area. Governments in China and the U.S. are accelerating policies to promote AI-driven transportation.
Adapting to different environments poses a challenge for companies like Apollo Go and Waymo, as traffic conditions vary significantly between cities.
However, passengers universally desire safe and comfortable rides. To meet this need, Apollo Go vehicles include interactive voice control, massage seats, and remote climate adjustment, enhancing the user experience with smart, user-friendly features.
With increasing investment in autonomous transportation, Apollo Go and Waymo are demonstrating that AI-driven mobility is actively changing urban transportation.
Apollo Go, also known as Luobo Kuaipao, is Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service and a leader in large-scale self-driving mobility solutions. As China’s first fully driverless commercial Robotaxi service, Apollo Go is pioneering the use of AI, big data, and automation to build smart cities.
CONTACT: Ruqi Chen Apollo Go chenruqi(at)baidu.com
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