Chinese robotaxi firms dominate global rankings, Baidu's Apollo Go expands in Hong Kong

Autonomy AI’s real‑time robotaxi ranking placed three Chinese companies in the top five, with Baidu’s Apollo Go in first place ahead of Alphabet’s Waymo. Other Chinese firms such as Pony.ai, WeRide, CaoCao Mobility, DiDi Autonomous Driving and XPeng also appear, reflecting a shift from pure technology competition to large‑scale commercial deployment.

In Hong Kong, the Transport Department reported that autonomous test vehicles are operating at Level 4, the highest international standard. Seven pilot licences covering 63 vehicles have been issued for testing across multiple districts, including Lantau Island and Kowloon. Baidu’s Apollo Go has logged over 240,000 km of safe operation in the city, though no commercial timetable has been set. Officials emphasized strict safety standards and a new regulatory framework, while noting a past incident in Wuhan where dozens of Apollo Go cars stalled, temporarily halting service there.