Baidu's Apollo Go and Pony.ai Lead Robotaxi Testing at Beijing Daxing International Airport

Baidu's Apollo Go and self-driving startup Pony.ai have made significant strides in the field of autonomous driving. Both companies have successfully conducted robotaxi tests at Beijing Daxing International Airport, marking a major achievement in the industry.

Apollo Go, the robotaxi platform developed by Baidu, has received approval to showcase its autonomous driving capabilities on the expressway that connects Beijing's second international airport to the city center. Additionally, certain areas within the aviation base, which opened in September 2019, have been designated for Apollo Go's demonstrations. This development was announced by Apollo Go on its WeChat account.

Pony.ai, on the other hand, has launched its own robotaxi services from Daxing to Yizhuang, a distance of approximately 50 kilometers, within the Beijing Economic Development Zone. This expansion of services aligns with Beijing's municipal government's plan to expand the scope of autonomous driving demonstration zones and promote the application of autonomous driving technology in key scenarios such as airports, railway stations, and urban road cleaning.

Pony.ai has been actively testing its autonomous driving technology since receiving approval for open road testing in July 2021. The company has already conducted trips on six expressways in Beijing and is now extending its operations to cover around 40 kilometers of high-speed sections with over 600 stations in the core area of Yizhuang.

With rich experiences in autonomous driving, Baidu has completed over 90 million kilometers of safety tests since 2013. Apollo Go, the company's robotaxi service, is currently operational in multiple cities, including Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chongqing, and Shanghai, with a significant number of orders exceeding 4.1 million as of September 30th last year.