Name: Baidu to ramp up global exports as robotaxi service grows in China
Uploaded: 2025-11-17T09:00:33.781Z
Duration: 2 min 17 s
Description: Chinese tech company Baidu has been expanding its robotaxi fleet in China, and has set its sights on growing its reach in the international market next year, specifically the UAE and Switzerland. Other Chinese robotaxi players are also looking abroad, such as Pony.AI, which plans to enter Singapore.

Chinese tech company Baidu has been expanding its robotaxi fleet in China, and has set its sights on growing its reach in the international market next year, specifically the UAE and Switzerland. Other Chinese robotaxi players are also looking abroad, such as Pony.AI, which plans to enter Singapore.

Beijing

Baidu has significantly increased the presence of its Apollo Go robotaxi service in China, with over 1,000 vehicles operating in Wuhan and profitability reported per car. The company is now expanding internationally, with more than 100 vehicles in the UAE and plans to begin testing in Switzerland. 

Other Chinese robotaxi firms, such as WeRide and Pony.ai, are also expanding globally, while U.S.-based Waymo is preparing to deploy its fleet in major cities like London and Tokyo. The industry faces ongoing challenges, including regulatory approvals and safety concerns, as competition between Chinese and U.S. companies intensifies.

Baidu to ramp up global exports as robotaxi service grows in China

So we're almost about to arrive at our destination. This is the suburb of Yizhuang in Beijing, one of the first places for Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxis to be rolled out in China. It started by testing 10 autonomous vehicles in 2023, and now it only takes minutes to book a journey, with the company heavily subsidizing passengers' rides. It costs only about one or two U.S. dollars to try to encourage more people to try out self-driving taxis with nobody inside them driving them. In Beijing, these self-driving taxis are largely limited to Yizhuang. But in other Chinese cities like Wuhan, there are more than 1,000 Apollo Go robotaxis running across town. And Baidu says it's already making a profit on each car. The average order is a commercialization order. That means we charge fees from passengers. Every order we receive every week just exceeds 250,000. So this is really a large number even for the ride-hailing service market. This is giving Baidu the confidence it can take its fleet to big cities outside China and make money. We just bring the technology to other parts of the world where the traffic is less complicated. But the taxi fare is much higher. That makes it easier for us to generate profit. Baidu already has a fleet of over 100 vehicles in the UAE and is starting to take cash from passengers. It's also entering Europe, with testing set to begin in Switzerland in December. Baidu is not the only Chinese robotaxi firm with global ambitions. WeRide says it's on the verge of reaching profitability in Abu Dhabi, while Pony.ai is planning testing in Singapore, following trials in Luxembourg and Seoul. But these Chinese players will face stiff competition from Alphabet's Waymo, which is expected to deploy its fleet in major cities like London and Tokyo from next year. And other challenges remain, including regulatory approval and overcoming safety concerns. It will just take time. This is the future. And if the future is driverless, the race between these Chinese tech giants and U.S. rivals is beginning to shift into high gear.

A special tribunal in Bangladesh’s Dhaka has found former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina guilty of crimes against humanity.

Dhaka

Bangladesh court convicts Sheikh Hasina of crimes against humanity

If the bill passes, the U.S. Justice Department would be required to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as details about the investigation into his death in federal prison.

Washington

Trump calls on House Republicans to vote to release Epstein files

Chile heads to a December runoff after Sunday's presidential vote left no clear winner. Leftist Jeannette Jara and far-right José Antonio Kast will now face off in a race dominated by concerns over crime and migration.

Santiago

Chile leftists advance to next month's presidential runoff

Construction work of a concrete wall continued on the Israeli side of southern border with Lebanon, despite the Lebanese presidency's threat to complain to the U.N. Security Council over the wall's extension into Lebanese territory.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Middle East Conflict

Israel constructs wall along Lebanon border

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro slammed planned joint military exercises by the United States and its ally Trinidad and Tobago as "irresponsible," with Washington increasing its armed presence in the Caribbean.

Caracas

Maduro denounces US military exercises

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated attempts to kill the effort to release federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein, House Republican leaders are planning to hold a vote this week on legislation to force the issue.

Claims Epstein emails mentioning Trump were 'selectively leaked'

President Trump says he has "sort of made up my mind" on whether to take military action in Venezuela. The comments come as America's largest aircraft carrier, the Ford, and other U.S. forces move within striking distance of the country. Charlie D'Agata has new details.

Trump says he's "sort of made up my mind" on Venezuela military action

President Trump says he will no longer support onetime close ally and Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene amid the ongoing fallout over the Epstein files. Willie James Inman reports.

Marjorie Taylor Greene 'threatened' by Trump supporters amid Epstein fallout

Flash flood warnings expanded on Saturday as rain hit wide swaths of California amid fears that the atmospheric river will intensify. Andres Gutierrez has the latest details.

Pacific Palisades

Rainstorm pummels California, triggering flash flood warnings

Large-scale protests at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, have drawn attention to environmental concerns and the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. Inside the summit, negotiations have been complicated by the absence of the United States.

Belém

Protesters block entrance to COP30 climate talks in Brazil

The UN climate talks in Brazil are facing increasing disruption from protesters. Thousands joined the "Great People's March" outside the conference venue to demand action on global warming instead of empty promises.

Thousands join protest at COP30 climate talks in Brazil

Air travel and other government services, including SNAP benefits, are returning to normal following the end of the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

Los Angeles International Airport

Flights begin to get back on track as shutdown ends

The U.S. military is expanding operations in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico amid its deadly boat strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, while the Trump administration weighs military action against Venezuela.

Trump administration weighs U.S military action in Venezuela

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced "Operation Southern Spear" in the Western Hemisphere as U.S. strikes continue in the region near Colombia and Venezuela. CBS News' Eleanor Watson reports.

Hegseth announces 'Operation Southern Spear'

The U.S. has approved the sale of $330 million worth of weapons to Taiwan as tensions rise in the region with China. CBS News' Nancy Cordes reports.

Taipei City

U.S. approves massive sale of weapons to Taiwan

Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket on Thursday with NASA twin spacecraft destined for Mars aboard, and in a breakthrough nailed the landing of its booster.

Cape Canaveral

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket deploys Mars satellites

A three-person crew stranded at China’s space station after their spacecraft was apparently hit by space debris are to return Friday using the craft that brought their replacement crew.

Chinese astronauts return to earth after spacecraft damaged

The AI firm Anthropic says Chinese hackers used its artificial intelligence tools to spy on tech companies, financial institutions and government agencies in what it believes is the first documented case of a worldwide cyberattack with minimal human involvement.

Rise of AI

Anthropic says Chinese hackers used its AI chatbot in cyberattack

Senior U.S. military officials have presented President Donald Trump with options for potential military operations inside Venezuela, including strikes on land, sources tell CBS News. Charlie D'Agata reports.

Trump weighs military plans against Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump is ducking press questions about newly released emails connecting him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities ahead of an expected vote on releasing all Epstein case files by the U.S. House of Representatives as early as next week.

Trump avoids media’s Epstein email questions

The U.S. government lumbered back to life on Thursday (November 13) after the longest shutdown in U.S. history snarled air traffic, cut food assistance to low-income Americans and forced more than 1 million workers to go unpaid for more than a month. But the deep political divisions that caused the 43-day shutdown in the first place remain unresolved.

U.S. government opens up again but deep political divisions remain

China's factory output and retail sales grew at their weakest pace in over a year in October, piling pressure on policymakers to revamp the $19 trillion export-driven economy as mounting supply and demand strains threaten to further curtail growth.

China's factory output, retail sales growth worst in over a year

Germany's government plans to bring back military service, to boost troop numbers to deal with the perceived threat from Russia. But voluntary conscription could become compulsory, if not enough recruits come forward.

Berlin

Germany outlines potential shift to compulsory conscription

As F-35 stealth fighter jets fly missions from a reopened naval base in Puerto Rico and Marines practice beach landings, sources tell CBS News the Pentagon is preparing for possible military action in Venezuela. Charlie D'Agata reports.

Pentagon preparing for possible military action in Venezuela

President Trump's name appears hundreds of times in the newly-released batch of 23,000 pages of records and messages from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, raising questions about their relationship. Mr. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has called the scandal a "hoax" perpetrated by Democrats.

Trump named hundreds of times in newly released Epstein files

A federal judge has ruled that hundreds of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during "Operation Midway Blitz" in the Chicago area must be released. CBS News immigration and politics reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez has more.

Chicago

Judge finds ICE illegally arrested hundreds of people in Chicago

For the first time in six weeks, the U.S. government is open. President Trump signed a bill last night to fund the government through the end of January.

Trump says he is 'willing to work with anyone' on health care

U.S. forces have killed four people in the latest strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean. CBS News national security coordinating producer James LaPorta has more.

U.S. forces kill four in latest Caribbean drug boat strike

Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in the West Bank on Thursday (November 13) and sprayed racist slogans on its walls, Palestinian residents said.

Jerusalem

Israeli settlers torch mosque in West Bank, residents say

Thailand-Cambodia border tensions escalate days after a US-backed ceasefire agreement breaks down.

Breakdown