While much of the Western robotaxi conversation centres on Waymo and Zoox, China has quietly built the world’s largest robotaxi network — and its implications for robotaxi development in Australia are significant. Three companies — Baidu, WeRide and Pony.ai — are now operating commercial or semi-commercial robotaxi services across dozens of Chinese cities, collectively completing millions of rides per year and pushing the technology forward at a pace that few outside the region fully appreciate.
Baidu Apollo Go: Scale Like No Other
Baidu’s Apollo Go is the largest robotaxi service in the world by ride volume. Launched in 2020, the platform now operates in more than 10 Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Wuhan. The company reported that it had surpassed 7 million cumulative rides by mid-2025 and continues to scale rapidly.
What sets Apollo Go apart is its approach to robotaxi commercialisation. Baidu has pursued a strategy of gradual autonomy — initially deploying vehicles with safety operators on board and progressively removing them as the technology proves itself in each city. In Wuhan, the company now runs a fleet of fully driverless robotaxis operating around the clock with no human backup driver in the vehicle.
Baidu has also developed its own autonomous driving chip (the Kunlun series) and its own electric vehicle platform in partnership with Chinese automakers. This vertical integration — controlling the software, the hardware and the vehicle — gives Baidu a cost advantage that could prove decisive as the industry moves toward profitability.
WeRide: First to Go International
WeRide, founded in 2017, has distinguished itself as the first Chinese robotaxi company to secure commercial operating permits outside of China. The company has conducted testing and pilot programs in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and parts of Europe.
Within China, WeRide operates autonomous taxi and bus services across Guangzhou, Nanjing and several other cities. The company’s technology stack supports multiple vehicle types — from passenger cars to minibuses and street sweepers — giving it a diversified revenue base that most pure-play robotaxi operators lack.
WeRide completed its IPO on the Nasdaq exchange in late 2024, becoming one of the first Chinese autonomous driving companies to list on a US stock exchange. The listing provided the company with additional capital to fund international expansion and fleet growth.
Pony.ai: The Toyota-Backed Contender
Pony.ai has taken a partnership-driven approach to scaling its robotaxi operations. The company has received significant investment from Toyota Motor Corporation and has established joint ventures to deploy autonomous vehicles across multiple Chinese cities.
Pony.ai operates commercial robotaxi services in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The company has also secured permits for driverless testing in several US cities, maintaining a dual-market presence that positions it for future international expansion.
In late 2024, Pony.ai completed its own Nasdaq IPO. The company has focused on developing a scalable technology platform that can be adapted to different vehicle models and regulatory environments — an approach designed to facilitate entry into new robotaxi markets as they open up, including potential future operations in Australia.
Why China Is Moving Faster
Several factors have contributed to China’s lead in robotaxi deployment:
Government support: Chinese authorities at both national and municipal levels have actively promoted autonomous vehicle development through dedicated testing zones, streamlined permit processes and direct subsidies for AV companies.
Regulatory speed: While Western markets often require years of consultation before approving autonomous vehicle operations, Chinese cities have moved more quickly to grant commercial permits. Wuhan approved fully driverless commercial operations for Baidu in a timeframe that would be difficult to replicate in most Western jurisdictions.
Scale of testing: China’s dense urban environments and high traffic volumes provide autonomous systems with exposure to edge cases at a rate that is difficult to match in less congested Western cities. More complex driving scenarios mean faster machine learning improvement.
Domestic EV ecosystem: China’s dominance in electric vehicle manufacturing provides robotaxi operators with access to affordable purpose-built platforms. Companies like BYD and GAC are producing vehicles specifically designed for autonomous fleet deployment.
Challenges and Criticisms
China’s robotaxi expansion has not been without controversy. Questions have been raised about the transparency of safety data, with critics noting that Chinese operators publish less detailed incident reporting than their US counterparts. The competitive pressure to expand quickly has also raised concerns about whether safety standards are being maintained consistently across all operating cities.
Job displacement is another significant issue. Traditional taxi and rideshare drivers in cities like Wuhan have voiced concerns about the impact of autonomous fleets on their livelihoods. Chinese authorities have begun exploring retraining programs and transitional support measures, but the speed of deployment has outpaced these efforts in some regions.
What This Means for Australia
China’s robotaxi experience is directly relevant to the future of robotaxis in Australia. As Australia’s autonomous vehicle framework takes shape, Chinese operators offer both a blueprint and a competitive threat. The regulatory models being tested in Chinese cities — particularly around staged deployment and safety certification — offer lessons for Australian policymakers working through the National Transport Commission.
WeRide’s international expansion also raises the possibility that Chinese operators could be among the first to seek entry into the Australian market. While US-based companies like Waymo and Zoox are often cited as the most likely candidates for an Australian launch, China’s operators bring competitive pricing and proven high-volume deployment experience that could make them strong contenders.
For anyone tracking when robotaxis will arrive in Australia, the Chinese market is no longer a sideshow — it is the frontline. With Baidu, WeRide and Pony.ai all eyeing international expansion, Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne could see Chinese-built robotaxis on their streets sooner than many expect. Follow our latest robotaxi news as these developments unfold.
