BEIJING, July 04 (AFP): Baidu announced Wednesday it had begun mass producing the country's first autonomous mini-bus, as the firm prepares to roll them out in tourist spots and airports.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robin Li watched the 100th vehicle roll off a production line of a factory in the southeastern city of Xiamen.
Li said: "2018 marks the first year of commercialisation for autonomous driving."
"From the mass production of Apolong, we can truly see that autonomous driving is making great strides - taking the industry from zero to one," he said.
The 14-seater Apolong, about one-third of the size of a normal bus, has no steering wheel, driver's seat, accelerator or brake.
Co-produced by Baidu and Chinese bus manufacturer King Long, they will soon be pressed into commercial use in enclosed areas such as tourist areas and airports.
They will also be commercially used in several cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and the country's new megacity Xiong'an.
Early next year, they are set to enter Japan's self-driving market as shuttle buses at nuclear power stations or in Tokyo to ferry around elderly people in local communities.
The vehicles have the "fourth level" of automation as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers.
The "fourth level" of automation means they can operate within an enclosed location without human intervention.
This is one short of the highest level, where vehicles can operate anywhere on the road.
"I took a self-driving car to come to the developer conference last year, and ended up getting a ticket at (Beijing's) fifth ring road," Li quipped.
