Volvo and Baidu partner on autonomous taxi project

Swedish vehicle manufacturer Volvo is teaming up with Chinese technology giant Baidu to build autonomous taxis. Together they are aiming to launch a level 4 driverless ride-hailing service in China by 2020.

The news follows the announcement of another two-year Baidu project, with Ford, in which the pair will begin level 4 testing on the streets of Beijing before the end of the year.

Industry forecasts predict China will represent the world’s largest market for autonomous vehicles in the coming decades. Around 14.5 million autonomous cars will be sold in China by 2040, according to market research firm ISH Markit.Tapping into the Chinese marketRealistically, partnering with local companies is the only way manufacturers and developers from Europe and the West are going to see a penny of that potential.

So-called Level 4 autonomy requires vehicles be capable of operating autonomously within a specific geographic area. The high-definition maps needed to help vehicles navigate safely are often beyond the reach of companies that aren’t local to an area.

Commenting on the partnership, Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, said:

“With Baidu we take a big step forward in commercialising our autonomous compatible cars, built on Volvo’s industry-leading safety technology.”There is a strong development in autonomous drive in China, where Baidu is a leading player, and the market there offers huge opportunities for us as the supplier of choice for autonomous fleets.Dr Ya-Qin Zhang, President of Baidu, suggested that the manufacturer’s safety record was a factor in the partnership decision.

“Since its founding a century ago, Volvo has kept safety as its core mission, pushing safety development forward with significant innovations,” he said.

“We are very glad that Volvo Cars has established a strategic partnership with Baidu in the development of a fully autonomous car compatible with our autonomous driving platform Apollo. We look forward to working closely with Volvo to provide the world with the safest auto products for the benefit of humankind.”