Baidu Expands Apollo Go Robotaxi Ambitions Beyond China

Baidu (HK:9888) is accelerating the global rollout of its Apollo Go robotaxi service, following strong progress in China where the autonomous driving platform has reached operational profitability on a per-vehicle basis in select cities. According to Bloomberg, the tech giant is now in talks with government authorities in Australia and several Southeast Asian markets to extend its footprint.

The expansion push comes as Baidu secured 50 new trial licenses in Dubai this week, effectively doubling its autonomous fleet in the United Arab Emirates to about 100 vehicles. Halton Niu, general manager of Baidu’s overseas intelligent driving business, confirmed the development during an interview with Bloomberg TV. The Middle East is seen as a strategic testing ground for scaling its autonomous ride-hailing business, with regulatory openness accelerating adoption.

Apollo Go currently operates more than 1,000 autonomous cars across China and overseas. Niu highlighted that while individual vehicles in certain mainland cities are already profitable, the broader robotaxi division has not yet achieved overall profitability. The company expects large-scale deployment and improving unit economics to drive sustained growth in the coming years.

Baidu has been investing heavily in self-driving technology since 2013, pouring billions into research, infrastructure, and partnerships. In a major step toward expanding into Western markets, the company recently announced a collaboration with U.S. ride-hailing firm Lyft, with plans to launch operations in Europe starting in the UK and Germany next year. This move positions Baidu as one of the leading global challengers in the autonomous mobility race.

Despite the positive expansion news, Baidu’s Hong Kong-listed shares fell over 1% in early trading on Friday, moving in line with the broader benchmark index. Investors remain cautiously optimistic, balancing the company’s international growth ambitions with the long-term profitability challenges that continue to face the robotaxi industry.