New Baidu Robotaxi to Cost $37,000

Chinese automaker Baidu launched a new version of its self-driving robotaxi Apollo RT6. The company says it costs nearly half as much to produce as the previous model.

The future in which all taxis are powered by batteries and need no driver,may be closer than you think. Chinese Baidu unveiled its Apollo RT6, robotaxis that are set to be mass-produced at a cost of $37,000 per unit. Equipped with the company’s self-developed technology and low-cost sensors, each car will have an operating cycle of more than five years.

The EVs may be deployed already in 2023 on Baidu riding-hailing service. The company plans to produce “tens of thousands” of the robotaxis.

We are moving toward a future where taking a robotaxi will be half the cost of taking a taxi today,

Baidu co-founder and CEO Robin Li said.

Baidu’s ride-hailing platform Apollo Go was established in 2017 and currently operates 300 driverless cars in major Chinese cities including Shanghai and Beijing. Company Vice President Wei Dong told Bloomberg, the company may become profitable in some regions in three years. By 2025, Baidu plans to expand Apollo Go into 65 Chinese cities.