Chinese technology company Baidu announced to have obtained permits for selling rides with no human drivers, making it the first robotaxi operator in China. The initial scale of the permit is 10 robotaxis divided between Wuhan and Chongqing, major suburban areas of China. The operating time for vehicles would be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wei Dong, vice president of Baidu’s intelligence driving division, expressed, “We have come to the ultimate scenario that the industry has been longing for.”
The company claims to have operated 196,000 rides in the first three months of the year and is set to release its second quarter result on August 30th.