Chinese Robotaxi Completes 250,000 Rides Per Month

Here’s a breakdown of the key ⁤details from the provided text, focusing on the comparison between Waymo and Apollo Go (Baidu’s robotaxi service):

Waymo (Google’s Robotaxi Service):

* Operating Cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, and Phoenix.
* vehicle: Extensively modified electric Jaguar I-PACE.
* Cost: Likely over $100,000 (exact cost undisclosed).
* Weekly Rides: Reached 250,000 rides earlier this year (same as Apollo Go).

Apollo Go (Baidu’s Robotaxi Service):

* Operating Location: China.
* Vehicle: Purpose-built Apollo RT6, designed with JMC (Jiangling Motors Corp).
* Cost: ⁣ Under $30,000.
* ‍ Weekly Rides: Reached 250,000 rides recently.
* ⁣ Autonomy Level: Level 4 (self-driving within a defined area).
* Key Features of the Apollo RT6:

*⁣ 4-seater with sliding doors.
* Heated, massaging rear seats.
* Voice command functionality.
* 38 sensors (8 LiDAR, 6 millimeter-wave radar, 12 ultrasonic, 12 cameras).
* ⁢ 1,200 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) computing power.
* Top speed of 84 mph (135 km/hr).
* Swappable battery (can be replaced in 3⁤ minutes).
* Future⁢ models planned to remove the steering wheel.

Key Takeaway:

The article highlights a notable difference in approach and cost. Waymo relies on modifying existing luxury vehicles‍ at a high price point,while Apollo Go has designed a purpose-built robotaxi that is‍ considerably cheaper to produce. Both services ‍are currently achieving the⁤ same number of weekly rides (250,000).