Baidu reveals the next-gen robotaxi that will be deployed throughout China – TechCrunch

Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant that has plowed money into AI and autonomous vehicle technology, unveiled Wednesday a new all-electric robotaxi that it plans to deploy at scale across China. Baidu will add the Apollo RT6 EV -- a cross between an SUV and a minivan that comes with a detachable steering wheel -- to its Apollo Go ride-hailing service next year. The new battery-electric robotaxi is Baidu's sixth-generation autonomous vehicle and the first model built on its Xinghe self-driving platform. The automaker said that developing the battery-electric architecture in-house helped trim production costs to a manageable $37,000 per unit. Baidu said that recent advances in manufacturing have cut production costs, allowing it to eventually build and operate tens of thousands of robotaxis at scale across Chinese megacities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen by next year.