Baidu and Pony.ai receive permit to offer robotaxis at Daxing airport

Chinese tech heavyweight Baidu Inc and self-driving startup Pony.ai have received permits to offer autonomous vehicle services at Beijing Daxing International Airport, a key step that indicates Beijing has become the world's first capital city to run passenger-carrying robotaxis from urban areas to the airport.

With the approval granted by the head office of the Beijing High-Level Automated Driving Demonstration Area, the two companies are able to provide autonomous vehicles on the 40 kilometer expressway connecting Beijing Daxing International Airport and the city's urban areas, as well as in some designated areas within the airport.

As the world's largest autonomous driving mobility service provider, Baidu's Apollo Go has accumulated more than 4.1 million ride orders as of Sep 30, 2023. In the third quarter of last year, Apollo Go provided 821,000 rides, marking a 73 percent year-on-year surge. 

Baidu's fully autonomous driving robotaxis now operate in several cities nationwide, like Beijing, Chongqing, Wuhan and Shenzhen. The company plans to expand its fleet size and service area in the future and build the world's largest fully driverless ride-hailing area.