Beijing has issued permits allowing no operator to sit behind the wheels of driverless vehicles, the first city in China to do so, local media reported on Thursday. Baidu’s Apollo Go and Pony.ai are the first licensed companies.
The permits allow Baidu and Pony.ai to offer rides without anyone in the driver’s seat, but a supervisor must sit in the front passenger seat. Fully robotaxis is expected to be available by the end of this year, WEI Dong, vice president of Baidu’s intelligent driving business group said.
