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China's robotaxi boom thrives in pockets—while global expansion stalls

From Beijing's suburbs to Wuhan's daily commutes, China's robotaxi revolution is here—but only if you're in the right neighborhood. Why is global expansion lagging?

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1 min read
The image shows an old map of the city of Shanghai, China, with Chinese characters written on it....
The image shows an old map of the city of Shanghai, China, with Chinese characters written on it. The map is detailed and shows the various streets, buildings, and other landmarks of the area.

China's robotaxi boom thrives in pockets—while global expansion stalls

China is rapidly becoming a global leader in self-driving taxi services, with major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Wuhan hosting active robotaxi fleets. While companies such as Baidu Apollo, Pony.ai, and WeRide push for expansion abroad, their services remain concentrated in specific pilot zones within Chinese cities—unlike the broader coverage seen with Waymo in the U.S.

In Beijing, robotaxis from Baidu, Pony.ai, and WeRide operate mainly in the southern suburbs. These services, though advanced, often face issues like clunky booking apps and long wait times. Wuhan stands out as Baidu's key testing ground, where Apollo robotaxi have become a regular transport option for daily commuters.

Shanghai also offers robotaxi zones, but the city's sheer size makes accessing these services difficult for many residents. Unlike Waymo's widespread availability in San Francisco or Phoenix, Chinese robotaxi operations remain fragmented, covering only parts of each city.

Despite ambitions for global growth, none of the three major Chinese developers—Baidu Apollo, Pony.ai, or WeRide—have yet established significant operations in Europe or the Middle East. While Baidu has expressed plans for European expansion and Pony.ai is exploring the Middle East, concrete pilot projects or city-level rollouts remain undisclosed.

China's robotaxi industry continues to outpace much of the world in development, though its services are still limited to designated areas. With companies like Baidu, Pony.ai, and WeRide focusing on domestic refinement before broader international expansion, the technology's reach remains uneven—both within China and beyond.

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