Baidu Apollo is expanding its services in Guangzhou, showing the commercialisation prospects of autonomous vehicles. Credit: Baidu.

Baidu has introduced a multi-modal autonomous driving Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform to provide transportation services enabled by AI in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

Beginning in the Chinese New Year holiday period, local users will be able to order smart transportation services on demand.

A fleet of Apollo Robotaxis and Robobuses, along with three other model types of autonomous vehicles, will be used for the initiative.

Baidu claimed that the deployment of Baidu Apollo and the ACE Transportation Engine indicates the commercialisation prospects of smart transportation.

To roll out the multi-modal autonomous driving MaaS platform, Baidu has partnered with the Guangzhou Huangpu District Government.

This rollout is claimed to be the world’s first multi-modal autonomous driving MaaS platform.

The new platform will integrate a host of autonomous driving services to offer travel recommendations and optimise the user’s travel experience in line with combined platform strategies.

With more than 40 autonomous vehicles, the total fleet deployed will comprise five different model types: Robotaxi, Robobus, Apolong, Apollocop and New Species Vehicle.

People can make reservations on the Baidu Maps and Apollo Go mobile applications.

Baidu Apollo has set up more than 50 Robotaxi pickup stations in the district to provide users with access to autonomous vehicles during the holiday period.

Baidu plans to continue holding regular trial operations going forward by deploying more than 100 Robotaxis and setting up approximately 1,000 pickup stations in Guangzhou Huangpu District.