Apollo Go robotaxi pilot — driverless cars with a safety officer still on board

Baidu's robotaxi has run accident-free in Chengdu since 2022 — but two years on it was still eight cars, a paid safety officer in every seat, and near two-hour waits at rush hour.

Part of 1001 Smart Cities — 1,167 documented projects · 🏙️ 6 more in Chengdu · 🚗 Autonomous vehicles guide · 🚲 Mobility projects

Baidu's Apollo Go (萝卜快跑) robotaxi service began carrying passengers in Chengdu's Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone in July 2022, initially with 8 vehicles across a 10km² area; by mid-2024 the operating zone had grown to roughly 60km² of roads through the Xinchuan Innovation Science Park, covering commercial, residential and tech-park areas, but the fleet was still just 8 cars running 8am–6pm with a paid safety officer in every seat. Demand outstripped supply: peak-hour waits of nearly two hours were reported in July 2024, and each car reportedly handled roughly 300 orders a month. Chengdu's operator says the service ran without a reported traffic accident since it began in 2022, but — unlike Baidu's fully driverless services in Wuhan, Shenzhen or Beijing — Chengdu's deployment had not gone safety-driver-free as of the most recent reporting found.