Regulators in China have given the go-ahead for internet giant Baidu and Toyota-backed Pony.ai to operate more robotaxis in Beijing. Although technically driverless, the cars must have a safety supervisor in them while operating, but they no longer need to sit behind the wheel, reports the Financial Times. The 14 cars will be allowed to traverse a 60-sq km zone in the Yizhuang district of the capital from Thursday, as Beijing follows smaller Chinese cities in approving robotaxis.
The decision to grant robotaxi licenses to Baidu and Pony.ai reflects Beijing’s preference for nurturing advanced technology and hardware businesses over ecommerce companies that the government has accused of amassing monopolistic power, said analysts.
Baidu, listed on Nasdaq and in Hong Kong, has been caught in Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s “common prosperity” crackdown on industries such as education and gaming, which have hit the company’s advertising business. Baidu has targeted autonomous vehicles as a potential source of future revenues.
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