Baidu's robotaxi business a success in Wuhan

Baidu's robotaxi operates in the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone. [Photo provided to en.whkfq.gov.cn]

China's tech giant Baidu declared on Feb 27 that it has operated more than 100 commercial robotaxis in Wuhan since the commercial driverless vehicle program was launched in May last year in the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (WEDZ).

The robotaxis can now run on more than 750 kilometers of roads, covering a 530 square-kilometer area in Wuhan, and can provide transit services to nearby 1.5 million residents.

Request orders for the robotaxis continue to grow rapidly, with 94.19 percent of passengers completely satisfied with the cars and the service.

"It feels like sitting behind a seasoned driver. The robotaxi drives steadily, and it only costs me less than 2 yuan ($0.29) for a 2.8-km ride, so cheap!" said a woman surnamed Wang who got into a robotaxi for the first time. She expects these smart cars to become popular once they are put into operation.

According to Baidu's 2022 financial report, by the end of January this year, the number of the robotaxi request orders had exceeded 2 million, making the company the world's largest autonomous driving service provider.

As a national intelligent connected vehicle testing zone, WEDZ boasts more than 660 km of open testing roads.