Baidu opens Apollo Robotaxi service to Changsha residents
Xinhua reported that 30 Apollo Robotaxis entered public use across about 130 square kilometres of Changsha, covering residential, commercial, leisure, and industrial areas. Riders could hail free trips through an app, while one or two technicians remained in each vehicle for passenger safety.
TOWARD DOOM27confidence 92/100
Why it moved the index
Opening learning-based robotaxis to ordinary residents across a large urban service area moved consequential physical autonomy from selected trials into public deployment. Onboard technicians and free, geofenced operation materially limit the magnitude.
AUDIT TRAIL
Assessment history
- R1Toward 27 · confidence 92
New source-verified historical public autonomy deployment absent from the durable corpus.
11 Aug 2026