China's Jidu Robo-1 Looks Like It's From the Future. Maybe It Is

Baidu has a Google-like grip on China's internet industry, bringing in billions each year through search advertising, cloud computing, and other online services. But its ambitions extend even further than Alphabet's--and include shaking up the car industry. Today in Beijing, Jidu, an automotive company recently created by Baidu and the Chinese automaker Geely, unveiled a prototype of its first vehicle, a futuristic-looking, largely autonomous hatchback called Robo-1. The company says it will cost at least the equivalent of $30,000, and is expected to go on sale next year. The Robo-1 is sleek and angular, with doors that swing upwards at the front and open backwards at the rear.