Baidu Wins Approval for China’s First Fully Driverless Taxis

(Bloomberg) — Baidu Inc. has won approval to deploy the first fully autonomous self-driving taxis on China’s roads, giving it an edge over rivals like Pony.ai Inc. and XPeng Inc.

The tech giant has secured permits to operate robotaxis in Wuhan and Chongqing, it said in a statement Monday. The move marks a relaxation of Chinese rules, which previously mandated someone must be in the vehicle to take control in case of an emergency.