Baidu Tops Beijing Autonomous Vehicles Road Test Report for the Third Consecutive Year

Rhea-AI Summary

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) has cemented its leadership in China's autonomous driving sector, achieving top results in the 2020 Beijing Autonomous Vehicles Road Test Report for the third year in a row. Baidu Apollo led across all testing categories, operating 55 autonomous vehicles that completed over 1.1 million kilometers, representing 95.92% of the city's total testing distance. Baidu is the first company authorized to conduct fully driverless tests on public roads. Furthermore, the Apollo Go Robotaxi service saw positive reception, with over 90% of users expressing intent to use it again.

Positive

• Baidu tops all categories in the 2020 Beijing Autonomous Vehicles Road Test Report.
• Operated 55 autonomous vehicles, accounting for 75% of total vehicles tested in Beijing.
• Achieved a cumulative mileage of 2,019,230 kilometers, comprising 91.23% of total testing mileage in the city.
• First company to receive permits for fully driverless testing on public roads.
• Apollo Go Robotaxi service received positive feedback, with 90% of users willing to use it again.

Negative

• None.

BEIJING, Feb. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) affirmed its comprehensive leadership position in China's autonomous driving industry with the results of the recently-published 2020 Beijing Autonomous Vehicles Road Test Report, in which Baidu Apollo topped industry peers across every testing category for the third consecutive year. In addition to maintaining the largest fleet of test vehicles and accumulating the highest total testing mileage, Baidu is also the first and only company that has obtained permission to operate fully driverless road tests on public roads in Beijing, which will enable Baidu to spearhead the development of smart transportation in the intelligent era.  

Baidu was the leading company across all four categories—number of vehicles for general technology testing, number of vehicles piloting autonomous vehicle passenger service, number of vehicles carrying out fully driverless testing, and total mileage of testing—in the 2020 edition of the Beijing Autonomous Vehicles Road Test Report, which is the only authoritative industry assessment of its kind published in China.

As the world's leading open platform for autonomous driving, Baidu was early in commencing road testing initiatives in Beijing, and leads the industry in areas including total number of testing vehicles, scale of testing, and diversification of testing scenarios. Baidu has achieved a cumulative mileage of 2,019,230 kilometers over a three-year period in Beijing, accounting for 91.23% of Beijing's total testing mileage in three years. In 2020, Baidu operated a fleet of 55 autonomous vehicles on the roads of Beijing, accounting for 75% of the overall number of vehicles that conducted automated driving tests in the city. Baidu also accumulated 1,125,305 kilometers of total testing distance, comprising 95.92% of the total autonomous vehicle testing distance in the municipality. This impressive record mileage represents a 49.24% increase in comparison to previous efforts in 2019. To put Baidu's achievements in perspective, a total number of 87 vehicles from 14 companies had received general road testing permits in Beijing as of December 31, 2020, according to the report.

In late 2020, Baidu was awarded with five autonomous vehicle driverless testing permits from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, marking the inaugural batch of permits issued to a company that allow driverless vehicles on public roads. In preparation for this achievement, Baidu has collaborated with the Beijing Innovation Center for Mobility Intelligent to optimize test parameters and technological specifications by running 64,827 kilometers of driverless vehicle testing in Beijing.

As part of its push to commercialize autonomous driving technologies, Baidu Apollo launched the Apollo Go Robotaxi service in Beijing, as part of the third phase of its autonomous vehicle passenger service pilot. From October 10 to December 31, a total of 15,006 users hailed an Apollo Go Robotaxi through their mobile devices. The Apollo Go experience was well received, with over 90% of riders stating that they would like to continue using this service in the future.

With a total of 200 autonomous vehicle testing roads across four districts comprising of a distance of 699.58 kilometers, Beijing has become the leading city for promoting domestic autonomous driving initiatives in China, with Baidu spearheading its growth. Adhering to stringent principles of safety and fostering an aura of innovation, Beijing was one of the earliest cities in China to regulate autonomous driving technology and establish comprehensive industry standards.

The milestones attained by Apollo in 2020 are a testament to Baidu's prowess and leadership in the autonomous driving industry. Going forward, Baidu will continue to drive the cutting-edge developments of smart transportation in China.  

About Baidu

Baidu, Inc. is the leading Chinese language Internet search provider. Baidu aims to make the complicated world simpler for users and enterprises through technology. Baidu's ADSs trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "BIDU." Currently, ten ADSs represent one Class A ordinary share.

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SOURCE Baidu, Inc.

FAQ

What are Baidu's achievements in the 2020 Beijing Autonomous Vehicles Road Test Report?

Baidu topped all categories, operating 55 vehicles and achieving over 1.1 million kilometers in testing, representing 95.92% of total testing distance.

When did Baidu launch the Apollo Go Robotaxi service?

Baidu launched the Apollo Go Robotaxi service as part of its pilot from October 10 to December 31, 2020.

How many driverless testing permits did Baidu receive in 2020?

Baidu received five driverless testing permits in late 2020, the first of their kind issued for public roads in Beijing.

What percentage of Beijing's autonomous vehicle testing mileage does Baidu account for?

Baidu accounts for 91.23% of Beijing's total autonomous vehicle testing mileage.

What user feedback did the Apollo Go service receive?

Over 90% of riders expressed a desire to continue using the Apollo Go Robotaxi service.