Uber-Baidu Bond: Autonomous Alliance for Asia and MENA Expansion
Ride-sharing giant Uber has entered into a new multi-year strategic partnership with Chinese tech company Baidu, the two companies announced Tuesday, according to Reuters.
Under the agreement, Baidu’s autonomous vehicle (AV) division, Apollo Go, will deploy thousands of its self-driving units on Uber’s platform. These vehicles are expected to be introduced later this year in select markets across Asia and the Middle East, outside mainland China and the United States.
As the ride-hailing industry shifts toward automation, Uber has been aggressively forming AV alliances to secure its position. In recent months, the company has announced collaborations with Waymo, Volkswagen, May Mobility, and Pony.ai to incorporate their autonomous fleets onto the Uber platform. In certain cases, Uber has even made direct investments in these firms.
In May, Uber expanded its partnership with Chinese AV startup WeRide, which included a $100 million investment.
However, these ventures are still in their early stages. Initially, Uber users won’t be able to directly select Baidu’s AVs within the app. Instead, riders will occasionally be offered the option to complete their trip in an Apollo Go autonomous vehicle, giving them a taste of the future of mobility.
