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3h ago

Uber and Baidu Partner to Roll Out Thousands of Apollo Go Robotaxis Outside U.S. and China

Starting later this year, riders in Asia or the Middle East will be able to request fully driverless Apollo Go vehicles on the Uber app.

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a whilte autonomous vehicle on a city street, with apollo branding
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Overview

  • Under a multi-year agreement, Uber will integrate thousands of Baidu’s Apollo Go fully driverless vehicles into its ride-hailing app in international markets outside the U.S. and mainland China.
  • Initial deployments are scheduled for late 2025 in Asia and the Middle East, where riders can choose a fully driverless Apollo Go vehicle for their trip.
  • Baidu’s Apollo Go has operated commercially since 2022 in 15 cities—including Dubai and Abu Dhabi—and completed more than 11 million rides with over 1,000 driverless cars as of May.
  • The deal reflects Uber’s shift from in-house autonomous development to a platform model that already includes partnerships with Waymo in Atlanta, May Mobility in Texas and Pony AI in the Middle East.
  • Regulatory requirements differ by market, often mandating onboard safety operators during trial phases before granting approvals for fully driverless service.