Baidu gets regulatory approval to provide driverless passenger rides to the public on open roads in Beijing. That s likely to catch Tesla CEO Elon Musk s attention.
Beijing granted China s first autonomous driving permits to two robotaxi operators－Baidu Inc and Pony.ai－on Thursday that for the first time allows the removal of a safety operator from the driver s seat on public roads in the capital.
Competition in China's autonomous driving sector is set to heat up as several self-driving companies are accelerating commercial operation of self-driving taxis to provide paid ride-hailing services in more regions, experts said.