China’s largest robotaxi operator gets the first green light to test autonomous cars in the right-hand drive market
Baidu Apollo International has been granted the first pilot licence to test autonomous vehicles in Hong Kong’s North Lantau region.
The licence, the first of its kind issued by the Hong Kong Transport Department since new regulations were finalised earlier this year, gives Baidu the right to conduct trials with ten autonomous vehicles but initially only a single vehicle will have approval.
The approved route will cover specific road sections between Hong Kong International Airport Car Park 4, moving along Cheong Tat Road, Airport North Interchange, and concluding at Chek Lap Kok South Road. Other routes will include the Sky City Road and Scenic Road, ensuring thorough testing in an area known for its bustling traffic and scenic views.
A backup operator will be stationed on board each vehicle to take over control if necessary, ensuring safety in the event of any issues.
The implementation of this pilot licence signifies the beginning of more extensive plans which aim to integrate autonomous vehicle technology into Hong Kong’s transport system and the department is already inviting other interested organisations to submit applications for future licences.
For Apollo Go, this marks a first step in their plans to expand outside of their Mainland China markets where they currently operate driverless robotaxi services in a number of cities. It will also be the first time they expand to a right-hand drive market.
An Apollo Go spokesperson told us: “Apollo Go looks forward to bringing the benefit of AI and autonomous driving technology to more countries and regions, providing more users with green, safe, and comfortable autonomous ride-hailing services. With that in mind, we have started to expand our business globally.
“As a leading finance and innovation hub in Asia, Hong Kong is committed to building a leading tech innovation ecosystem. Not only is this the first pilot licence for autonomous vehicles granted in Hong Kong, it is also the first right-hand drive autonomous driving test licence obtained by Apollo Go.
“This marks an important milestone in our journey towards globalisation.”
It’s not yet known if the trial vehicle will be the firm’s self-developed RT6 robotaxi, that we first previewed back in 2022 and that is now operating on Chinese roads, but it was designed to operate with steer-by-wire technology, making it easier to switch a back-up steering wheel to the right side.
