A parallel industry
While American coverage follows Waymo and Tesla, China has built robotaxi services of comparable scale. Baidu's Apollo Go, launched in 2020, runs driverless rides in Wuhan, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing and other cities and has reported more than ten million cumulative rides. Pony.ai, founded in 2016 by former Baidu engineers, and WeRide, founded in 2017, both run driverless services in several cities and listed on U.S. exchanges in 2024.
How the approach differs
Chinese cities designate test zones and grant permits district by district, and municipal governments have often promoted the services as showcases; Wuhan's large Apollo Go fleet became a national talking point in 2024. The vehicles are purpose-built and cheap: Baidu's sixth-generation robotaxi is reported to cost a fraction of an American one, and low cost per car is central to the business case. Sensor suites are similar to Waymo's, with lidar throughout.
Going abroad
All three companies are expanding outside China, mostly through partners: WeRide and Pony.ai operate in the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, WeRide has run robotaxis with Uber in Abu Dhabi, and Baidu has announced services in the Middle East and testing in Europe. Access to the United States is constrained by rules on Chinese connected-vehicle technology; the competition between the two industries is happening in third countries.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the most robotaxis?
By fleet size and cities served, China and the United States are the two large markets, with Baidu, Pony.ai and WeRide on one side and Waymo on the other. Exact fleet numbers change quickly and the companies count them differently.