Uber has announced a new partnership with Chinese tech giant Baidu, focusing on deploying thousands of Baidu’s autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform in markets outside the U.S. and mainland China. This strategic collaboration will kick off in Asia and the Middle East later this year.
AV Partnerships Galore
Uber has been actively engaging in various autonomous vehicle partnerships to stay ahead in the ride-hailing industry. Recent deals include teaming up with companies like Waymo, Volkswagen, May Mobility, and Pony AI. In some cases, Uber is even investing directly in these companies to strengthen their AV offerings.
Early Stages of Collaboration
While the pace of these partnerships is rapid, they are still in the early stages. Initially, riders won’t be able to specifically request a Baidu AV through the Uber app. Instead, they may have the opportunity to experience a fully driverless Apollo Go AV for their trip, similar to Uber’s other autonomous vehicle partnerships.
