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Sam Phillips

With the roll-out of Tesla’s new Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, here is how Elon Musk’s offering compares to the Apollo Go driverless taxi service by Chinese tech giant Baidu:
When: Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the launch of the autonomous vehicle service on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, calling it the “culmination of a decade of hard work”.
Baidu first tested its Apollo Go autonomous vehicle in September 2019, with official commercial service beginning in 2022.
Where: Tesla’s Robotaxi app has launched in Austin, but Musk plans to expand the driverless cab service depending on performance. The inaugural public rides were given to select influencers, with videos posted to X on the official Robotaxi account.
Apollo Go began as a mainland China service, with initial testing in Changsha, capital of southern Hunan province. It later expanded to larger cities such as Beijing and Shenzhen. In 2022, the company started commercial services with a fleet in Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province. Apollo Go currently operates in more than 15 cities, including Hong Kong, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Technology: Both Tesla and Baidu vehicles use custom artificial intelligence chips and specialised software to handle autonomous driving. Baidu uses its self-developed Kunlun II chip.
Tesla also uses a chip developed in-house, according to Musk’s X post, but the company has not released details about it.
User experience: Both companies offer their services through mobile apps. Tesla has so far limited its Robotaxi app to people 18 or older, with a maximum of two passengers per ride, Musk said on X. The goal was to prioritise safety, he added.
Apollo Go has its own app, and users can also hail a ride using the Baidu app.
Pricing: A ride with Tesla’s Robotaxi currently costs a flat US$4.20 – an apparent reference to the number 420, which Musk has frequently joked about due to its association with cannabis culture.
In an Apollo Go test ride by a Post reporter last year, a 3 kilometre ride in Wuhan cost just 4.2 yuan (60 US cents).
Manufacturing costs: Each Tesla robotaxi costs under US$30,000 to produce, Musk said at an event in October.
Baidu showcased its sixth-generation robotaxi model in May last year, saying its vehicles cost US$28,000 each to produce.


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How Tesla’s Robotaxi service compares with Baidu’s Apollo Go in China

A driverless Tesla robotaxi moves through traffic on June 22 in Austin, Texas. Photo: AP

One of Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis seen in Wuhan on August 1, 2024. Photo: AFP

In Wuhan, driverless taxis offer a peek into the future of intracity transport in China

Illustration: Henry Wong

A Baidu Apollo Go self-driving car picks up a passenger in Wuhan, Hubei province, July 12, 2024.  Photo: Coco Feng

An Apollo Go car, the self-driving ride-hailing service of Baidu, takes to the road in Wuhan, Hubei province, July 12, 2024. Photo: Coco Feng

A safety operator sits in the driver’s seat of an Apollo Go robotaxi as the vehicle travels to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, July 13, 2024. Photo: Coco Feng

An Apollo Go driverless car on the road in Wuhan, July 12, 2024. Photo: Coco Feng

Tesla launches long-discussed robotaxi service

A Tesla robotaxi drives on the street along South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

A driverless Tesla robotaxi moves through traffic in Austin, Texas. Photo: AP

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently left the Trump administration. File photo: AFP

Tesla’s robotaxi launch comes well after Waymo’s offering of commercial robotaxi service. File photo: TNS

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SemiDrive’s cockpit domain control using 16-nanometre automotive-grade process. Photo: Handout

Baidu’s Apollo Go expands robotaxi tests in Hong Kong as it aims for global reach

An Apollo Go robotaxi navigates the road in Wuhan, Hubei province, in July last year. Photo: Coco Feng

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Tesla is finally entering the robotaxi business, but Baidu has been testing its service for years


Tesla is finally entering the robotaxi business, but Baidu has been testing its service for years.


How Tesla’s Robotaxi service compares with Baidu’s Apollo Go in China

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Tesla is finally entering the robotaxi business, but Baidu has been testing its service for years

Tesla is finally entering the robotaxi business, but Baidu has been testing its service for years