BRIEF: Baidu’s Apollo partners with CAR Inc. on autonomous vehicle rentals

Baidu Inc.’s (BIDU.US; 9888.HK) Apollo autonomous driving platform said on Thursday it has signed a deal to jointly launch China’s first autonomous vehicle rental service in a new partnership with car rental operator CAR Inc.

The new service will allow users to book Apollo self-driving cars on-demand via CAR Inc.’s platform, with flexible time options and routes covering city landmarks and popular tourist destinations, Baidu said. It is specifically designed to cater to seniors, travelers without a driver’s license, and people with limited mobility.

Baidu said the two companies will jointly promote the service in various urban cultural and tourism scenarios, aiming to create scalable application models. Starting in the second quarter of this year, the companies plan to co-develop products for specific use cases and make continuous changes based on user feedback.

By Lee Shih Ta

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