- Baidu plans to launch its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Singapore and Malaysia as early as this year, expanding the business to Southeast Asia, according to Bloomberg.
- Apollo Go is in discussions with potential partners to explore business models suitable for these two markets.
Baidu plans to launch its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Singapore and Malaysia as early as this year, expanding the business into Southeast Asia, Bloomberg reported today, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Apollo Go is in talks with potential partners to explore business models suitable for these two markets, the source said.
The Wall Street Journal also reported on the plan, stating that Apollo Go aims to enter the Southeast Asian market as soon as the end of 2025, with Singapore and Malaysia as its primary focus in the region.
Baidu entered the autonomous driving technology sector in 2013, making it one of the earliest Chinese companies to do so.
As of May, Apollo Go had accumulated over 11 million rides, with its service coverage expanded to 15 cities, according to Baidu's first-quarter earnings report released last month.
Apollo Go's global robotaxi fleet has reached 1,000 vehicles, and it will continue to solidify its position as the world's leading robotaxi service provider, Baidu CEO Robin Li said during an earnings call on May 21.
In March, Apollo Go expanded its services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and began road validation tests in Dubai in May.
In April, Apollo Go was approved to conduct designated passenger tests on open roads in Hong Kong, its first right-hand drive market.
Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Baidu plans to launch its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Switzerland and establish a local company there in the coming months.
By 2030, millions of commercial autonomous vehicles for shared mobility will be on the roads globally, according to a forecast by Goldman Sachs cited by the Wall Street Journal report today.
Currently, China has the world's largest fleet of robotaxis, with about 1,700 vehicles, the report noted.
Goldman Sachs said that driven by declining hardware and algorithm prices, as well as reduced operational costs for fleet owners, the Chinese robotaxi market size could grow from an estimated $54 million this year to $47 billion by 2035.
