Baidu, the leading Chinese language search engine, got the green light to test its vehicles with fully autonomous driving, therefore without driver, on public roads in California.
Baidu will be able to test its self-driving self-driving vehicles in California
The Chinese giant is the sixth company to receive a permit to test the completely autonomous driving by the Department of Motor Vehicles (the others are Cruise, Waymo, Nuro, Zoox and AutoX). Currently, 60 companies in California hold a permit to test autonomous vehicles with a driver inside.
Baidu, which has been working on this technology for years, is theChinese company leader in the self-driving vehicle sector. Last September, the company unveiled its fully autonomous Level 4 vehicles at the developer conference, Baidu World. In December, Baidu received the first license to test fully autonomous vehicles on public roads in China: the city of Beijing granted the company permission to test five of its self-driving Apollo vehicles.
A big step forward for Baidu
The new permit allows the company to test three driverless autonomous vehicles on specific roads within Sunnyvale, in Santa Clara County. Vehicles are only allowed on roads with speed limits of 45 mph (circa 72km/h) and they can circulate during the day or at night. But not in bad weather conditions like fog or rain.
Companies that receive these driverless driving permits must provide proof of insurance or pay a $ 5 million bond. In addition to following various other rules, such as the training of personnel who know how to operate on the technology remotely.
Baidu recently announced plans to make electric vehicles with the help of Geely, the largest privately held carmaker in the country and Volvo's parent company. Notably, Baidu and Geely are in talks to use the latter's electric vehicle platform, announced late last year. Baidu appears to own a majority stake in the new company as well it will then control its direction.
