Baidu's Apollo autonomous vehicles granted licence to test in HK

BEIJING: China's Baidu has received a licence to test autonomous vehicles with its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Hong Kong as it expands its footprint outside the Chinese mainland.

Baidu Apollo International Ltd was approved to conduct trials for 10 autonomous vehicle in North Lantau, according to a statement released by Hong Kong's Transport Department last Friday.

The license will be valid from Dec 9, 2024 to Dec 8, 2029, with only one self-driving car operating on specified road sections at a time in its first phase, according to the statement.

During the trial, a backup operator stationed on board will take over control of the vehicle if necessary, it added.

The Hong Kong government has actively promoted autonomous vehicles since at least 2017, but has only recently allowed their wider trials, including on public roads, following the rollout of a new legislation in March this year.

This is the first pilot licence given out by the Hong Kong government since the introduction of the new regulatory regime.

It is also Baidu's first known permit for autonomous vehicle testing outside mainland China.

The company's robotaxi service Apollo Go operates in multiple Chinese cities, with the largest fleet, of more than 400 vehicles, in central China's Wuhan city.

"Apollo Go looks forward to bringing the benefit of AI and autonomous driving technology to more countries and regions," a spokesperson for Apollo Go said. "This marks an important milestone in our journey towards globalisation."

As competition to commercialize autonomous vehicles heats up, Baidu plans to launch its robotaxi service outside mainland China, including in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reported last month.