Baidu’s autonomous driving unit, Apollo, has teamed up with auto mobility provider Car Inc to offer China’s first autonomous vehicle (AV) rental service.
The new service will allow users to reserve self-driving vehicles in advance for specific time slots, offering flexible, on-demand travel to destinations such as city landmarks and tourist attractions.
It provide an alternative to traditional car rentals and public transport for a broad range of users, including the elderly, unlicensed individuals, international visitors, and people with disabilities.
“Through mutual support, trust and close cooperation, we aim to create the first benchmark model for autonomous driving in the cultural tourism rental service industry, delivering a safer, more efficient and personalised smart mobility experience for users,” said Yunpeng Wang, Corporate Vice President of Baidu and President of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group.
The initiatve addresses a critical gap in China’s rapidly expanding car rental market, which is expected to exceed RMB300 billion (about US$41 billion) by 2030.
By integrating Apollo’s advanced autonomous driving technology with Car Inc’s extensive nationwide rental network, the two companies plan to accelerate the large-scale deployment of AVs across diverse urban and tourism scenarios.
Starting in Q2 of 2025, Apollo and Car Inc will launch scenario-specific pilot services and refine their offerings based on user feedback, with plans to deepen their collaboration over the next three to five years.
The companies will also jointly develop operational standards for AV rentals to ensure that every vehicle meets stringent safety, stability and reliability benchmarks.
Apollo’s AV Push in China
Apollo has been championing autonomous driving research and development for around a decade. Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi service has already completed more than nine million rides across a dozen Chinese cities, including fully driverless operations since February 2025. The Apollo platform has covered more than 130 million autonomous kilometres. Its sixth-generation vehicle, the RT6, is designed for cost-effective mass deployment.
Apollo’s AVs have been deployed in major cities such as Wuhan and Shanghai, where the company has offered low-cost robotaxi rides to attract users and gather operational experience.
In late 2024, Baidu was granted a license to test its Apollo Go service in Hong Kong, marking its expansion into right-hand drive markets and signaling ambitions for global growth.
Entelechy Asia 