Baidu’s Apollo Go Robotaxi Service Achieves Profitability in Select Chinese Cities

Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxi service has turned profitable in certain Chinese markets, marking a pivotal moment for the company after years of heavy investment in AI and autonomous driving technology. The service has completed over 14 million rides domestically, including 2.2 million fully driverless trips in Q2 2025—a 150% year-over-year increase.

With modest but growing profitability, Baidu is eyeing global expansion. The company is in advanced talks with Australian and Southeast Asian regulators, targeting cities like Singapore and Kuala Lumpur where autonomous transport frameworks are evolving. Dubai has already granted 50 additional trial licenses, doubling Apollo Go's UAE fleet to 100 vehicles, with plans to scale to 1,000 autonomous cars in coming years.

European ambitions are progressing cautiously, with Baidu establishing a Swiss foothold. The robotaxi unit's financial viability now hinges on per-vehicle cost coverage, a threshold recently crossed in China—laying groundwork for what could become the world's largest autonomous ride-hailing network.