Apollo Go

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.

Baidu CEO said he sees a clear path to profitability for Apollo Go.

Baidu plans to launch its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Switzerland and plans to set up a local company there in the coming months.

Baidu has been granted license to put 10 Apollo Go robotaxis into trial operation in Hong Kong, the first time it has been permitted to test robotaxi outside of the Chinese mainland.

Apollo Go plans to operate in Hong Kong on a trial basis, with the first phase of testing at the airport by the end of this year at the earliest, a Hong Kong media outlet reported.

Baidu has begun discussions with foreign automakers, ride-sharing platforms and other tech companies about deploying Apollo Go outside of China through local partnerships, according to Nikkei Asia.

Baidu's self-driving ride hailing platform Apollo Go is close to break-even and aims to be profitable by 2025.

To date, Baidu's Apollo Go has been offering fully driverless ride-hailing services in Beijing, Wuhan and Chongqing.

Apollo Go has begun to gain significant recognition in the Yizhuang area of Beijing, gaining about 10 percent of the ride-hailing market share.

The accident was caused by a truck that failed to maintain an adequate safety distance, and the driver of the truck was found to be fully responsible.