--- title: "Driverless Robotaxis To Officially Hit Chinese Streets" description: "China is about to get the San Francisco treatment now that a robotaxi company is able to operate its robotaxis without a driver in two of its major cities. " date: "2022-08-09" modified: "2022-08-09" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/driverless-robotaxis-hit-chinese-streets" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "autonomous taxis" - "baidu" - "robotaxi" - "the digest" --- # Driverless Robotaxis To Officially Hit Chinese Streets ![China is about to get the San Francisco treatment now that a robotaxi company is able to operate its robotaxis without a driver in two of its major cities. ]() *\Image: Baidu\* ## Driverless in China China is about to get the San Francisco treatment now that tech giant Baidu is able to operate its autonomous car service without a driver in two major Chinese cities. According to [a company press release](), the artificial intelligence company has finally won approval to operate a limited number of its Apollo Go autonomous fleet vehicles in the cities of Wuhan and Chongqing — and without a human driver on board. Per the release, the company will only operate five vehicles in each city roughly between the hours of 9 am to 5 pm — a far cry from the [30 autonomous taxis]() run by GM's Cruise fleet that are allowed to charge customers for rides during similar hours in San Francisco. **In other words, China is hot on the heels of a slew of American companies when it comes to fully driverless robotaxi services.** ## Lidar-ally Baidu also claimed this week that Jidu Auto, its "robot" vehicle arm, is developing technologies that will be a generation ahead of Tesla's self-driving capabilities — a bold claim, considering Tesla's advancements in the space. "Our understanding of smart vehicles," [Baidu CEO Robin Li said in a statement](), per *Reuters*, "is that being electric is the semi-final while being intelligent is the final." https://twitter.com/therealautoblog/status/1556620629595619328 The British news wire noted that Jidu, which [unveiled its door handle-less "robocar" concept]() back in June, plans to employ two light detection and ranging software censors — otherwise known as "Lidar" — as well as 12 cameras. Tesla, however, does not use lidars, something CEO Elon Musk has called "a fool's errand" in the past, arguing that "[anyone relying on Lidar is doomed]()," during a 2019 Tesla event. Only time will tell how Baidu's fully driverless taxi pilot pans out — but if GM's experiment in San Francisco [is anything to go by](), it could get real messy. **READ MORE:** [Baidu Granted China's First-Ever Permits for Commercial Fully Driverless Ride-Hailing Services]() \[PR Newswire\] **More on** **robotaxis**: [*GM's Robotaxis Are Losing A Fortune*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()