China's Baidu eyes robotaxi expansion to Singapore and Malaysia
[BEIJING] Baidu is planning to launch its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Singapore and Malaysia as early as this year, according to a person familiar with the matter, as the company continues to expand its global footprint.
Apollo Go is in discussions with potential partners to explore the right business models for the two markets, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters.
Baidu chief executive officer Robin Li has previously said the company was seeking partners such as mobility service providers, local taxi companies and third-party fleet operators for an asset-light approach.
The development comes as Tesla prepares to launch its Cybercab robotaxi network within days, with Elon Musk staking the electric carmaker's future growth on autonomous driving technology. At the same time, Chinese robotaxi companies including Apollo Go, and US-listed Weride and Pony AI are expanding into international markets such as the Middle East, Europe and South-east Asia.
Baidu didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Dow Jones Newswires reported the plans earlier.
Apollo Go is fast scaling up. It has deployed than 1,000 self-driving vehicles worldwide, most of which are in China. It reached 11 million rides by the first quarter of this year, surpassing Alphabet's autonomous driving unit Waymo's 10 million paid rides as of May 23. The Baidu unit is also exploring entering Europe and Turkey, and was in talks with Swiss Post unit PostAuto to roll out a robotaxi service in Switzerland. BLOOMBERG
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