According to a press release on August 25, Baidu has announced the expansion of Apollo Go, its autonomous ride-hailing platform, to expand its driverless car service to cover Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in China.
For the first time in China, an autonomous ride-hailing service has been established between urban areas and an airport. This is also the first instance of Chinese autonomous vehicles connecting both urban roads and highways. The service is currently offered to selected Apollo Go users by invitation, and will be made available to the general public in September.
The significant number of passengers traveling through Wuhan's Tianhe Airport provides a strong foundation for the further growth of Baidu Apollo. Located 25 kilometers from the center of Wuhan, Tianhe Airport is one of China's eight major regional hub airports. Wuhan Tianhe International Airport has transported a total of 125,000 international regional passengers in 2023, placing it first in the central China region. The airport's daily flight limit has increased from 700 to approximately 1,000 flights.
Significance: The expansion of Apollo Go's operation area to Wuhan Tianhe Airport is a significant step toward establishing driverless airport transportation in China. It also means Baidu has now unlocked more challenging operation scenarios for its robo-taxi fleet, making the autonomous ride-hailing service more accessible to the public, the press release cited.
Following the expansion to cover the airport area, Apollo Go will continue to expand its presence in Wuhan, with plans to bring its services to the city's Jingkai District, Hanyang District, East and West Lake District, Qiaokou District, and other core areas of Jiangbei, Chongqing, in the future.
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