Chinese bring autonomous taxis to Europe, first tests in Switzerland
The Chinese group Baidu plans the expansion of its autonomous service Apollo Go to Europe. In Switzerland and Turkey, the first tests are to start in 2025. The company dominates the market in China and also wants to be a leader in Europe.
Autonomous driving reaches Europe
Baidu, one of the leading Chinese technology groups, is preparing to test his autonomous driving service Apollo Go in Europe for the first time and would like to set a foundation for commercial operation. The company, which is already active in several Chinese cities with self -driving cars and operates a fleet of over 400 vehicles in the central Chinese city of Wuhan alone, is planning to establish a local branch in Switzerland.
The tests should begin before the end of the year. Like that Wall Street Journal reports, Baidu is in conversations with the Swiss bus service provider Postbus about the introduction of his robotaxi service in Switzerland. This cooperation could make it easier for the Chinese company to enter the European market, since PostBus has extensive experience in public transport.
Baidu’s balance sheet in the field of autonomous driving is remarkable: the company has already covered over 100 million kilometers without major accidents and promoted more than six million passengers. In Wuhan, Apollo Go offers a 24/7 service with 400 completely autonomous robotaxis for around nine million inhabitants.
Competitive pricing
The driving prices are extremely competitive in China: a journey starts at the equivalent of around 55 cents, while conventional taxis with human drivers start around 2.77 euros. However, this aggressive pricing policy also causes unrest in the traditional taxi industry. In China, autonomous driving services must adhere to strict regulations. Robotaxis may only operate under remote monitoring, whereby the ratio of vehicles and human attention is not allowed to exceed 3: 1.
All operators must also be certified. For the European market, Baidu will have to adapt its technology to the local regulations. Switzerland is considered a good test market because the country has relatively progressive regulations for autonomous vehicles. After successful tests in Switzerland, Baidu is also planning an expansion to Turkey.
