Baidu partners with Uber to accelerate autonomous vehicle deployment

Chinese internet search engine operator Baidu and Uber Technologies have announced a multi-year strategic partnership to deploy thousands of Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the Uber platform across multiple global markets outside of the US and mainland China. This collaboration will focus on increasing the supply of affordable and reliable ridesharing options by bringing Baidu’s advanced autonomous vehicles onto Uber’s extensive network.

The first deployments are expected in Asia and the Middle East later this year. After launch, if a rider requests a qualifying Uber trip, they may be presented with the option to have their trip fulfilled by a fully driverless Apollo Go autonomous vehicle, according to a media release.

As a leading autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go deploys an operational fleet of over 1,000 fully driverless vehicles globally with its global footprint spanning 15 cities, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Backed by its autonomous driving technology and safety record, Apollo Go is gaining strong momentum and accelerating its global expansion. As of May, the cumulative rides provided to the public by Apollo Go surpassed 11 million, the media release said.

“We are committed to bringing the benefit of autonomous driving technology to more people in more markets, and this partnership with Uber represents a major milestone in deploying our technology on a global scale,” said Robin Li, Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Baidu. “We look forward to working with Uber to deliver safe and efficient autonomous mobility solutions to riders around the world.”

“This partnership brings together two of the world’s most iconic technology companies to help shape the future of mobility,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. “As the world’s largest platform of its kind, spanning mobility, delivery, and freight, Uber is uniquely positioned to help AV leaders like Baidu bring their autonomous technology to the world.”