Asia Tech Wire (Oct 9) -- Chinese internet giant Baidu plans to launch Apollo Go, a robotaxi service, outside of China as the race to commercialize self-driving cars heats up, according to Nikkei.

The news comes as Tesla prepares to launch its Robotaxi vehicle this week.

Baidu has begun discussions with foreign automakers, ride-hailing platforms and other tech companies about deploying Apollo Go outside of China through local partners, the report said on Wednesday.

However, it has not yet finalized the timing and location of the overseas joint ventures.

And according to a new report from Chinese media outlet Cailianshe, Baidu plans to launch its robotaxi service in Hong Kong, which will be the first stop in its expansion outside of mainland China.

In China, Apollo Go has opened manned test operation services in more than 10 cities and is testing fully unmanned self-driving taxi services in key cities such as Beijing, Wuhan, Shenzhen and Shanghai.

Baidu disclosed in August that as of July 28, 2024, Apollo Go has provided over 7 million rides in China.

In addition to Baidu, other Chinese companies, including Pony.ai and WeRide, are eyeing overseas markets in hopes of coming out on top in the self-driving car race.