Apollo Go, which operates one of the world’s largest networks of robotaxis, has expanded the testing of its autonomous taxis across more locations in Hong Kong, moving closer to launching its services in the city.
Currently, a fleet of 10 vehicles is operating in about 20 streets such as Cheong Hing Road, Second Sky Street, Airport Expo Boulevard, Tung Yiu Road, the company said on Saturday, without revealing the size of the expanded experimental zone.
Apollo, a unit of the Chinese search engine giant Baidu, said it was granted an updated pilot licence by the city’s Transport Department, allowing it to double the number of its self-driving cabs and conduct tests in new areas. The company initially began tests with five vehicles in North Lantau in December, with humans behind the wheels.
“Hong Kong is Apollo Go’s first right-hand-drive left-hand-traffic market, presenting significant technical and operational differences from mainland China,” the statement said. “We plan to expand Apollo Go’s presence to more countries and regions so more people can experience the safe and convenient travel experience provided by autonomous driving.”
Hong Kong, a right-hand-drive market, has become a magnet for mainland electric vehicle (EV) makers and autonomous driving firms over the past year as they step up their global expansion pace.
While BYD, the country’s EV king, and premium EV builder Xpeng have opened showrooms in the city, driverless technology developers Pony.ai and Apollo plan to operate robotaxis.
At the start of this year, Pony.ai said it initially planned to provide services for airport staff within Hong Kong International Airport, but did not give a timetable.
In mid-2024, BeyonCa, a Chinese premium EV start-up backed by French carmaker Renault Group and Chinese state-owned Dongfeng Motor, signed agreements with supply chain partners and financial institutions to speed up its goal of setting up the first “made in Hong Kong” car brand.
“All these companies believe that Hong Kong is the ideal launch pad for their international expansion,” said Chen Jinzhu, CEO of Shanghai Mingliang Auto Service, a consultancy. “Hong Kong authorities’ support for EVs and EV-related technologies will attract more companies to invest and test their technologies in the city.”
Baidu established Apollo, the world’s largest open-source autonomous driving platform, in 2017, before it launched the Apollo Go ride-hailing services on the mainland two years later.
Apollo now operates more than 1,000 driverless taxis, the world’s largest robotaxi fleet, in Wuhan, capital of China’s Hubei province.
It also has presence in 10 other Chinese cities, including Beijing and Chongqing. Users can order a robotaxi through its maps app, while paying as low as 4 yuan (55 US cents) for a 10km ride, a tenth of the cost of a regular cab.
The taxis are supported by Apollo’s level 4 autonomous driving, which does not require human intervention in most circumstances, but the driver has the option to manually control the car.
