Baidu has uncovered plans for an electric self-driving car with a removable steering wheel (方向盘), marking another step forward in the fast-moving robotaxi race in China.
The Chinese tech giant, the country’s answer to Google, showed the Apollo RT6, its sixth-generation self-driving car, at its yearly flagship meeting on Thursday. Baidu’s ride-hailing (叫车) service, Apollo Go, currently operates in 10 Chinese cities. The new vehicle will be introduced through that program sometime next year. Once regulators give the green light, the Apollo RT6’s removable steering wheel will legally be able to come off, a company executive said Thursday.
Baidu is selling its new design as a way to free up space for things like “extra seating, vending machines, desktops, or gaming consoles”. The company said its new self-driving car has dramatically lowered the production costs from previous versions, by about half. Those cost savings will be passed on to passengers as the company prepares to introduce the cars to its existing robotaxis around the country, according to CEO Robin Li.
“We are moving towards a future where taking a robotaxi will be half the cost of taking a taxi today,” he said in a statement. “This massive cost reduction will make tens of thousands of self-driving cars available across China.”
Baidu made its name as a massive search engine provider, but it has also long spent money on self-driving technology in the world’s largest car market. In April, the company announced — along with another Chinese self-driving startup — that it would start letting people in certain areas book taxi rides without anyone behind the wheel. Other companies have showed off vehicles without steering wheels before, including GM and Honda, Google, and Mercedes-Benz.
In April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told analysts that the automaker was aiming to start mass production of its own robotaxi without steering wheels or pedals in 2024. Baidu said Thursday that its new model was ready for production, but did not disclose a manufacturing partner.
【小题1】What can we learn about Apollo RT6?| A．It needs a driver behind the wheel. |
| B．It is serving in 10 cities at present. |
| C．It will serve through a ride-hailing app. |
| D．It has no steering wheel when it is made. |
| A．Taking a robotaxi will cost people less money. |
| B．Baidu will give up designing things like extra seating. |
| C．Half of the production costs will be paid by passengers. |
| D．The company will introduce the cars in small numbers. |
| A．To warn Baidu of its competitors. |
| B．To prove that the robotaxi is the best. |
| C．To uncover Baidu’s possible partners. |
| D．To indicate the future trend of self-driving. |
| A．The Self-driving Car Frees up Space |
| B．The Cost of Robotaxi Has Been Reduced |
| C．Baidu Spends Money on Self-driving Technology |
| D．Baidu Introduces New Self-driving Taxi to China |
