Baidu’s Apollo Go clocks up 20,000km of ‘safe driving’ in Hong Kong trials

Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi service has racked up 20,000 kilometres of “safe driving” in Hong Kong road tests, the company said on Saturday, as the city expands driverless vehicle trial areas in efforts to develop the sector.

The mileage was completed during trials in Hong Kong’s Northern Lantau and Tung Chung areas since receiving the city’s first autonomous vehicle pilot licence in November last year, the company said.

Apollo’s successful test experience in Hong Kong to date would provide an “important reference” for promoting its self-driving technology to other right-hand-drive markets worldwide, Baidu said.

Hong Kong chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu and officials from the Transport Department on Friday met with Baidu co-founder and CEO Robin Li Yanhong as part of this year’s policy address consultation, the company said.

The officials heard Baidu’s input on topics including artificial intelligence development, as well as the application scenarios and industrial adoption of autonomous driving technology in Hong Kong, according to Baidu.