In China, Baidu has just obtained the first permit to be able to offer fully autonomous taxis
In China, Baidu has just obtained the first permit to be able to offer fully autonomous taxis
The China will in turn take an important step in the robot taxi sector. The country has just issued for the first time a permit that authorizes a company to offer a paying service of fully autonomous taxisthat is, without an emergency driver. Baidu is the company that obtained this authorization, and this service will begin in the cities of Wuhan and Chongqing.
According to reports, Baidu’s newly obtained permit will allow it to charge passengers for driverless rides in an area of 13 km² in Wuhan, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. In the Yongchuan District of Chonqingthe area a an area of 30 km² and robot taxis can pick up passengers between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Vehicles used in these areas will be 5 Apollo electric carsth generation. There will be remote drivers who will be ready to intervene in case of problems. Each car will be tracked from the base through the on-board camera systems.
A booming business
Currently the company Baidu’s Apollo Go is already the largest robot taxi company in the world. It already offers services across major cities in China using its 5-car vehicle.th generation with an emergency driver on board.
Recently, Baidu unveiled its 6th generation that will be his first mass-produced fully autonomous vehicle. According to the information, the manufacture of one unit will cost about 36,110 euros, and the car will have a detachable steering wheel.
A future without drivers?
Today we are witnessing a revolution in the passenger transport sector. But this revolution could have consequences in the world of employment, particularly with regard to drivers.
According to Daxue Consulting, China’s ride-hailing service industry alone employs about 30 million drivers. This number does not yet include taxi drivers, delivery van drivers, bus drivers, or truck drivers. If all these categories start using autonomous vehicles, millions of people will be out of work in the next few years.
It is therefore necessary to prepare gradually for the arrival of new generation vehicles, both at the level of carriers and at the level of the competent authorities.
SOURCE: newatlas
