A few days ago, my family and I discussed 萝卜快跑 (luó bo kuài pǎo), a company under Baidu known in English as Apollo Go. This driverless robotaxi service platform operates fully autonomous vehicles for public use, and it is a significant development for several reasons.
First, Apollo Go has been in operation since 2020, logging millions of kilometers in both test and commercial operations. In recent years, it has expanded its services to numerous major cities across China. The long-term goal of Apollo Go is to integrate its services into broader urban transportation networks, leveraging its vast accumulated data to ensure safety and accessibility in major cities and urban centers.
Second, Apollo Go recently achieved a milestone in Wuhan, becoming the first city to implement a city-wide driverless taxi service. Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province with a population of nearly 14 million, is known for its crowded streets filled with cars and free-style pedestrians. If driverless cars can navigate Wuhan successfully, it will pave the way for their deployment in other large cities across China.
Why is this a big deal? Apollo Go could signal the beginning of transformative changes in transportation across China and beyond. However, there are already concerns about potential job losses among taxi drivers. It could mean a harsh reality and hardship for many taxi drivers, some of them being the only bread-earners in the family.
Additionally, legal challenges have emerged, such as determining liability when a law-abiding driverless car collides with a jaywalking pedestrian. On the positive side, driverless cars could encourage better adherence to traffic laws and discourage illegal street behaviors.
More importantly, what is happening in Wuhan will provide an avant-garde case study for many other major cities around the world.
Apollo Go represents a significant forward move in autonomous driving technology and urban transportation. While it brings challenges and concerns, it also offers new opportunities and potential improvements in road safety and transport efficiency. As the world watches China's experiment with driverless taxis, the lessons learned could shape the future of transportation globally.