Uber has partnered with Chinese tech company Baidu have partnered to launch Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles (AI) on the Uber platform across global markets outside of the United States and China.
The “multi-year strategic partnership” will include the launch of thousands of Apollo Go AVs in these new markets, with the first deployments slated for later this year in Asia and the Middle East. When the AVs launch, riders may be prompted with an option to ride with an Apollo Go AV if requesting “a qualifying Uber trip.”
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According to the companies, the partnership “will focus on increasing the supply of affordable and reliable ridesharing options by bringing Baidu’s advanced autonomous vehicles onto Uber’s extensive network,” the companies said. Currently, Apollo Go has over 1,000 AVs in 15 cities, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and as of May, it had provided over 11 million rides to the public.
“We are committed to bringing the benefit of autonomous driving technology to more people in more markets, and this partnership with Uber represents a major milestone in deploying our technology on a global scale,” said Robin Li, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Baidu. “We look forward to working with Uber to deliver safe and efficient autonomous mobility solutions to riders around the world.”
In May, Uber announced that it was partnering with another China-based AV company, Pony.ai. That same month, the rideshare giant also announced it was expanding its partnership with WeRide, which specializes in autonomous driving technology, and announced a multi-year partnership with May Mobility to bring thousands of AVs to the Uber platform in the U.S.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the latest partnership with Baidu “brings together two of the world’s most iconic technology companies to help shape the future of mobility.”
“As the world’s largest platform of its kind, spanning mobility, delivery, and freight, Uber is uniquely positioned to help AV leaders like Baidu bring their autonomous technology to the world,” Khosrowshahi said.