Baidu Plans Rapid Expansion of Apollo Go Robotaxi Service

Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, has reported significant growth, achieving 1.1 million paid rides in the fourth quarter of 2024, a 36% increase year-on-year. The cumulative number of rides has now reached 9 million, and the service has transitioned to fully driverless operations without remote operators. CEO Robin Li announced ambitious plans for 2025, including expanding the fleet and seeking partnerships with local taxi companies and mobility service providers to facilitate efficient scaling. Notably, Apollo Go has entered the Hong Kong market as the first permit holder for robotaxi testing, adapting to a right-hand drive environment. The company's growth is part of a broader strategy to compete with leading players in the autonomous vehicle sector, including Tesla and Waymo. Baidu's fourth-quarter results also indicated strong performance in its AI Cloud business, contributing to a revenue of $4.68 billion despite a slight overall decline.