Baidu and China FAW-Hongqi jointly built the first made-in-China L4 self-driving taxi, the Robotaxi-Hongqi E series (based on Hongqi E-HS3) debut in Changsha China.

The small-volume Robotaxi self-driving car that arrived this time will serve as the “leading force” for Baidu Apollo to launch the large-scale manned test operation, which is the first step to help Changsha city complete the “urban-level” intelligent upgrade.

This batch of self-driving passenger cars are jointly manufactured by Baidu and FAW-Hongqi, it is also the first L4 production-line in China. Unlike ordinary cars, cameras on Robotaxi’s roof, laser radar, sensors and other devices can automatically identify traffic lights, it is able to sense the surrounding environment of vehicles, and detect and identify obstacles. In addition, the integrated navigation can accurately determine the position and heading of the vehicle. The cabin is also equipped with three touch panels, in-vehicle data processor is placed in the car trunk.

Previously, at the 2019 Yuelu Summit, Baidu cooperated with Changsha Pilot Industry Investment Co., Ltd. and Hunan Xiangjiang Intelligent Technology Innovation Center Co., Ltd. to jointly establish Apollo Zhixing Technology Co., Ltd. to fully take charge of the operation of Robotaxi (self-driving taxi) in Changsha China.
In June this year, the Changsha Municipal Government promulgated the “Changsha Intelligent Connected Vehicle Road Test Management Implementation Rules (Trial) V2.0”. Among them, Baidu Apollo obtained 45 autopilot test licenses and officially launched large-scale tests in Changsha to prepare policies and technologies for unmanned passenger operations in 2019.

Up to now, Baidu has won more than 100 licenses issued by governments across the country, and is far ahead in China. It is worth mentioning that Baidu L4 autopilot city road test mileage has exceeded 2 million kilometers, testing vehicles reached 300 vehicles, which is China’s first L4 test mileage exceeded one million, it is also the longest test kilometers in China .
In addition, according to the 2018 Beijing Autopilot Vehicle Road Test Report, Baidu Apollo has led the way with the largest number of road test vehicles, the most road test mileage, and the most complete coverage of the scene, the test mileage accounted for more than 90%, showing the capability of Apollo large-scale testing.