Uber, Baidu Partner to Launch Self-Driving Cars in China, Other Countries Under Ride-Hailing App

Uber is partnering with China's multinational tech company, Baidu, to launch self-driving cars in the East Asian country as well as other territories throughout the world, excluding the United States.

While it has not been specified that it would be a robotaxi business, they are focusing on deploying autonomous vehicles under the ride-hailing app of Uber in this collaboration.

The San Francisco-based tech company is leveraging its Uber platform in this partnership, while China's Baidu is supplying the self-driving vehicles under its Apollo project.

Uber, Baidu Partner to Launch Self-Driving Service

Uber and Baidu have recently announced their partnership to launch a self-driving service in China and other countries. The goal for both companies is to fill the gaps in many other countries when it comes to driverless rides that users may conveniently book via the Uber platform.

Additionally, both companies also look to deliver a more "affordable and reliable" ride-sharing experience in different territories.

Uber is leveraging its ride-hailing platform and network in this latest team-up, while Baidu is bringing Apollo Go, featuring its self-driving cars, technology, and program into the partnership.

China, Others Get Uber-Baidu Ride-Hailing

The companies highlighted that the goal is to deliver the Uber-Baidu Apollo Go ride-hailing service to "countries outside the US," particularly with mainland China. It was revealed that the pair is targeting its first deployments in Asia and the Middle East starting later this year.

Riders who book through Uber would be given an option to opt for Baidu's self-driving service if their route is eligible, with the Apollo Go autonomous vehicle fulfilling the trip.

Robotaxi Ride-Hailing Businesses

Robotaxi has become an emerging method of transportation in the world, especially in the United States, as many tech companies aim to deliver a driverless experience for the public to access. This new type of commute was popularized by Alphabet's Waymo and other companies, focusing on robotaxis that take passengers from one place to another, all without a human operator.

Waymo is also expanding its self-driving fleet outside the US, crossing the Pacific to reach the shores of Japan as part of its international services.

Other companies have also stepped up to deploy their self-driving ride-hailing businesses like e-commerce giant, Amazon, with its Zoox program.

Elon Musk's Tesla is also joining the driverless revolution as the company recently launched its service called the Robotaxi in Austin, Texas, as part of its testing phase, leveraging the Full Self-Driving technology that still requires supervision from a human safety operator.

Uber has previously joined the driverless ride-hailing business but unlike the three companies mentioned, its operations only leverage booking the service in partnership with Waymo, which was forged in 2023.

The ride-hailing platform does not have its self-driving car developments, but it is pushing for more partnerships to deliver this kind of experience globally.