Apollo
With Apollo Go, people in Cangzhou can hail a robotaxi ride from train stations and other public spaces.  Credit: Baidu, Inc.

Internet platform and AI company Baidu has opened the Apollo Go Robotaxi service in Cangzhou, Hebei province, China.

The move extends the robotaxi coverage and marks a significant milestone in Baidu’s autonomous driving technology development.

The Apollo Go Robotaxi service currently covers 55 pick-up and drop-off stations in Cangzhou, including train stations, schools, hotels, museums, business and industrial areas, and other public spaces.

In April, Baidu opened robotaxi services in a 130km² region of Changsha in Hunan province.

The autonomous technology is now more accessible and efficient by servicing busy areas of Cangzhou.

People in Cangzhou can easily hail a free robotaxi ride through Baidu Maps.

To ensure the safety of passengers, a human operator is assigned to each vehicle acting as a backup.

Apollo Go was launched in Cangzhou following extensive testing and trial operations.

Robotaxis can safely operate in busier areas with more variables for the autonomous driving system to process.

Furthermore, Apollo continues to conduct manned autonomous driving tests in Beijing and Chongqing.

Located within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and on the Beijing-Shanghai corridor, Cangzhou was the first city in northern China to allow manned autonomous driving tests.

Investing in intelligent network technology, the city has built one of the largest road networks for testing autonomous vehicles.

Last November, Cangzhou opened road networks for manned autonomous driving testing.

Last year, Baidu Apollo and FAW Group developed Hongqi EV, the first pre-installed and mass-produced L4 autonomous driving vehicle in China with trial operations conducted in September.