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Robotaxis: a Chinese conversation with pinyin and English

Fully driverless paid rides from Baidu's Apollo Go, Pony.ai and WeRide, and where the public can ride them.

Play: Robotaxis

The conversation

Speakers: Xiaoyu and Haoran.

  1. Xiaoyu

    浩(hào)然(rán)，这(zhè)车(chē)前(qián)面(miàn)怎(zěn)么(me)连(lián)个(gè)司(sī)机(jī)都(dōu)没(méi)有(yǒu)啊(a)？

    Haoran, how come there's no driver up front in this car?

  2. Haoran

    知(zhī)道(dào)啊(a)！多(duō)省(shěng)心(xīn)呐(na)。

    I know! So stress-free.

  3. Xiaoyu

    那(nà)我(wǒ)上(shàng)车(chē)该(gāi)管(guǎn)谁(shuí)叫(jiào)师(shī)傅(fu)啊(a)？

    So who am I supposed to call 'driver' when I get in?

  4. Haoran

    真(zhēn)无(wú)人(rén)驾(jià)驶(shǐ)，还(hái)能(néng)在(zài)线(xiàn)付(fù)费(fèi)。我(wǒ)们(men)在(zài)武(wǔ)汉(hàn)，萝(luó)卜(bo)快(kuài)跑(pǎo)几(jī)乎(hū)覆(fù)盖(gài)了(le)整(zhěng)个(gè)城(chéng)。

    It's genuinely driverless, and you pay online. We're in Wuhan, where Apollo Go covers pretty much the whole city.

  5. Haoran

    武(wǔ)汉(hàn)是(shì)什(shén)么(me)时(shí)候(hou)开(kāi)始(shǐ)在(zài)公(gōng)开(kāi)道(dào)路(lù)上(shàng)提(tí)供(gōng)完(wán)全(quán)无(wú)人(rén)化(huà)商(shāng)业(yè)载(zài)客(kè)服(fú)务(wù)的(de)？

    When did Wuhan start offering fully driverless commercial passenger service on public roads?

    1. 2022年(nián)8月(yuè) August 2022
    2. 2012年(nián)8月(yuè) August 2012
    3. 2025年(nián)8月(yuè) August 2025
    Answer

    2022年(nián)8月(yuè) August 2022

  6. Xiaoyu

    2022年(nián)8月(yuè)？那(nà)会(huì)儿(r)我(wǒ)还(hái)天(tiān)天(tiān)跟(gēn)出(chū)租(zū)车(chē)师(shī)傅(fu)砍(kǎn)价(jià)呢(ne)。

    August 2022? Back then I was still haggling with cab drivers every single day.

  7. Haoran

    光(guāng)是(shì)2025年(nián)一(yì)年(nián)，它(tā)就(jiù)提(tí)供(gōng)了(le)超(chāo)过(guò)1000万(wàn)次(cì)无(wú)人(rén)化(huà)出(chū)行(xíng)。

    In 2025 alone, it provided over 10 million driverless trips.

  8. Xiaoyu

    它(tā)为(wèi)了(le)避(bì)让(ràng)小(xiǎo)狗(gǒu)停(tíng)下(xià)了(le)，还(hái)挺(tǐng)礼(lǐ)貌(mào)。只(zhǐ)有(yǒu)百(bǎi)度(dù)一(yì)家(jiā)吗(ma)？

    It stopped for a puppy—that's pretty polite. Is Baidu the only one?

  9. Haoran

    小(xiǎo)马(mǎ)智(zhì)行(xíng)在(zài)北(běi)京(jīng)、上(shàng)海(hǎi)、广(guǎng)州(zhōu)和(hé)深(shēn)圳(zhèn)都(dōu)有(yǒu)，文(wén)远(yuǎn)知(zhī)行(xíng)在(zài)广(guǎng)州(zhōu)。

    Pony.ai's in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, and WeRide is in Guangzhou.

  10. Xiaoyu

    能(néng)直(zhí)达(dá)每(měi)个(ge)城(chéng)市(shì)的(de)角(jiǎo)角(jiǎo)落(luò)落(luò)吗(ma)？

    Can it take you straight to every nook and cranny of the city?

  11. Haoran

    大(dà)部(bù)分(fen)牌(pái)照(zhào)只(zhǐ)管(guǎn)特(tè)定(dìng)区(qū)域(yù)，没(méi)法(fǎ)全(quán)城(chéng)跑(pǎo)。

    Most permits only cover specific zones, so they can't drive all over the city.

  12. Xiaoyu

    那(nà)我(wǒ)叫(jiào)它(tā)带(dài)我(wǒ)过(guò)江(jiāng)去(qù)吃(chī)碗(wǎn)面(miàn)条(tiáo)都(dōu)不(bù)行(xíng)？

    So I can't even have it take me across the river for a bowl of noodles?

  13. Haoran

    那(nà)你(nǐ)得(děi)跟(gēn)它(tā)好(hǎo)好(hǎo)商(shāng)量(liang)。

    Then you'll have to have a serious talk with it.

  14. Xiaoyu

    这(zhè)整(zhěng)趟(tàng)路(lù)下(xià)来(lái)谁(shuí)都(dōu)不(bù)跟(gēn)我(wǒ)搭(dā)话(huà)，怪(guài)想(xiǎng)念(niàn)司(sī)机(jī)的(de)各(gè)种(zhǒng)吐(tǔ)槽(cáo)。

    Nobody talks to me the whole ride, I kinda miss drivers going off on their rants.

Hear it read aloud in the app

Words in the conversation

司(sī)机(jī)driverHSK 2道(dào)路(lù)roadHSK 2完(wán)全(quán)completelyHSK 2服(fú)务(wù)serviceHSK 2那(nà)会(huì)儿(r)at that timeHSK 2出(chū)租(zū)车(chē)taxiHSK 2出(chū)租(zū)to rent outHSK 2超(chāo)过(guò)to exceedHSK 2大(dà)部(bù)分(fen)mostHSK 2部(bù)分(fen)partHSK 2不(bù)行(xíng)won't doHSK 2商(shāng)量(liang)to discussHSK 2前(qián)面(miàn)the front sideHSK 3整(zhěng)个(gè)the whole (thing)HSK 3开(kāi)始(shǐ)to beginHSK 3公(gōng)开(kāi)transparentHSK 3商(shāng)业(yè)commerce and trade as an economic sectorHSK 3为(wèi)了(le)in order toHSK 3只(zhǐ)有(yǒu)only if this one conditionHSK 3城(chéng)市(shì)a cityHSK 3好(hǎo)好(hǎo)properlyHSK 3下(xià)来(lái)to come down toward hereHSK 3各(gè)种(zhǒng)all kinds ofHSK 3几(jī)乎(hū)almostHSK 4提(tí)供(gōng)to provideHSK 4停(tíng)下(xià)to stopHSK 4想(xiǎng)念(niàn)to missHSK 4师(shī)傅(fu)master craftsmanHSK 5驾(jià)驶(shǐ)to driveHSK 5礼(lǐ)貌(mào)politeHSK 5特(tè)定(dìng)specificHSK 5区(qū)域(yù)areaHSK 5出(chū)行(xíng)to travelHSK 6只(zhǐ)管(guǎn)go ahead andHSK 6

Notes

Baidu Apollo Go: where it began

In August 2022 Apollo Go began fully driverless ride-hailing on open roads in Wuhan and received permits to charge fares; on 19 June 2024 it began fully driverless operations across practically all of Wuhan. It was granted permits for fully driverless rides for the public in Shenzhen's Pingshan district in May 2023, and reached 100 percent fully driverless operations in Chongqing in October 2024.

Baidu Apollo Go: rides

In 2025 Apollo Go gave more than 10 million fully driverless rides, 3.4 million of them in the fourth quarter. As of February 2026 it had given more than 20 million rides to the public in total and operated in 26 cities worldwide, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The ride figures are the company's own unaudited data.

Pony.ai

In July 2025 Pony.ai received a permit for fully driverless commercial robotaxi service in Shanghai's Pudong New Area, starting in Jinqiao and Huamu. On 6 November 2025 it said it ran fully driverless commercial robotaxis in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, with more than 720 vehicles.

WeRide

In September 2025 WeRide's Robotaxi GXR began 24-hour fully driverless commercial service in Guangzhou. Abroad, it holds a fully driverless commercial permit in Abu Dhabi, granted on 31 October 2025, where rides are booked through Uber.

Commercial service

These services are commercial: riders pay fares, and the cars have no safety driver. Each permit covers set districts, not whole cities, except Apollo Go's coverage of practically all of Wuhan. As of late 2025 the public could ride in Wuhan, Chongqing and Shenzhen (Apollo Go); Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen (Pony.ai); and Guangzhou (WeRide).

Play

Robotaxis

Fully driverless paid rides from Baidu's Apollo Go, Pony.ai and WeRide, and where the public can ride them.

  1. In which city did Baidu's Apollo Go begin fully driverless operations across practically the whole city in June 2024?

    Answer

    Wuhan. Apollo Go began fully driverless paid rides in Wuhan in 2022 and covered practically all of it from June 2024.

  2. About how many fully driverless rides did Apollo Go give in 2025?

    Answer

    More than 10 million. Baidu reported more than 10 million fully driverless rides in 2025.

  3. In how many cities did Apollo Go operate in February 2026?

    Answer

    26. Baidu said its footprint reached 26 cities, in China and abroad.

  4. In which four mainland cities was Pony.ai running fully driverless commercial robotaxis in November 2025?

    Answer

    Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen. Pony.ai said it ran fully driverless commercial service in all four, with more than 720 vehicles.

  5. In September 2025, WeRide began 24-hour fully driverless robotaxi service in which city?

    Answer

    Guangzhou. WeRide's Robotaxi GXR began 24-hour fully driverless commercial service in Guangzhou.

  6. Is a fully driverless robotaxi ride in these cities a paid service?

    Answer

    Yes, riders pay fares. The permits are for commercial service, with fares, inside set districts.

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