Tech Insights - Baidu Unveils Level 4 Capable $37,000 Autonomous Robotaxi

Baidu has revealed its next-generation Apollo RT6 which it aims to include within its existing autonomous fleet by the end of 2023. With this next-generation model, Baidu has leveraged its vertical integration to continue lowering its production costs. By developing its battery-electric architecture inhouse, Baidu has managed to trim the cost of this new model to $37,000 - a stark drop from the previous $71,000 iteration.

This cost reduction is critical to establishing its goal of becoming the sole provider of a Chinese autonomous taxi network. Baidu’s Apollo Go service, launched in 2020, now operates across 10 major Chinese cities including Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. In integrating this vehicle into its existing robotaxi service, Senior Vice President Li Zhenyu stated that “The vehicle will hit the roads without a steering wheel once Chinese authorities approve it”. The Apollo RT6 is stated to be capable of Level 4 Autonomous; meaning that the vehicle is capable of operating without human intervention. However, under current regulation in China, autonomous vehicles still require the presence of a safety driver.