Baidu's robotaxi unit is exploring expansion into global markets in the 'near future'

BEIJING — Chinese tech institution Baidu's robotaxi unit, Apollo Go, is successful talks with respective firms to grow into overseas markets successful the "near future," according to a root acquainted with the matter.

No details connected timing oregon regions were available.

Baidu is 1 of the large operators of robotaxis successful China. Regulators successful parts of Beijing and cities specified arsenic Wuhan — Apollo Go's largest operating portion — person allowed companies to commercially run self-driving taxis aft years of conscionable permitting interior testing.

Tesla is scheduled to clasp its widely anticipated robotaxi event connected Thursday.

WeRide, different Chinese robotaxi developer, successful precocious September announced a deal to integrate its cars onto ride-hailing elephantine Uber's level successful Abu Dhabi this year. The connection said the companies did not program connected akin partnerships successful the U.S. oregon China.

In July, BYD and Uber announced they would develop "autonomous-capable vehicles" for the ride-hailing company's platform. They did not stock details.

Robotaxi rides successful China operated by Baidu and companies specified arsenic Pony.ai are mostly highly subsidized by the companies to promote their usage. Local regularisation sometimes requires a quality unit idiosyncratic to beryllium wrong the car, meaning not each the vehicles are afloat autonomous.

Baidu said arsenic of precocious July, Apollo Go had operated more than 7 cardinal robotaxi rides.

Separately, Baidu connected Tuesday announced Rong Luo would nary longer service arsenic its CFO, and alternatively go enforcement vice president overseeing the company's mobile ecosystem unit. Junjie He, erstwhile caput of the mobile unit, volition go interim CFO, the institution said. Baidu described the changes arsenic portion of a "management rotation."