For now only for China
Baidu, a Chinese tech giant, unveils a new version of its self-driving ‘robotaxi’: the Apollo RT6. Where Baidu’s previous robotic axis were conventional passenger cars with sensors and cameras on the roof, the Apollo RT6 was specifically designed as a self-driving vehicle. In 2023, the first copies should be on the road in Chinese cities.
The design of the Baidu Apollo RT6 is somewhat reminiscent of an MPV. With its length of almost 4.8 meters and wheelbase of 2.8 meters, the Apollo RT6 is also a pretty big boy. The autonomous car is on the Xinghe platform, which Baidu itself developed for electric cars. Baidu does not divulge further details of the platform and powertrain of the Apollo RT6.
Baidu Apollo RT6
More interesting are the autonomous driving systems that Baidu has incorporated into the Apollo RT6. The company therefore devotes a great deal of attention to this. Thanks to 38 sensors – including 8 Lidars and 12 cameras – and a large database collected over the years by Baidu, the RT6 at level 4 can drive autonomously. This means that the car can drive independently without human intervention, but still offers the option of manual operation. The steering wheel is just not present in the photos. Baidu says the steering wheel is “removable,” but won’t say whether the steering wheel folds away into the dashboard or can actually be removed from the car. In photo 4, the front seats have even been replaced by a footstool and a kind of minibar. Photo three shows that someone is sitting in the front, but the recess in the dashboard in which the steering wheel seems to be, is on the other side. It is therefore still unclear how you can regain control of the car in an emergency.
In any case, Baidu is confident that the driver will no longer be needed in the short term. According to a CEO of Baidu, the driving skills of the Apollo RT6 can be compared with an ‘experienced driver with 20 years of experience’.
From 2023, the Apollo RT6 will become part of Apollo Go, Baidu’s robotic axi service. The company currently offers that service in ten cities and drives the Arcfox Alpha-T, GAC Aion LX and Weltmeister W6, among others. Those cars have the necessary sensors for autonomous driving on the roof, but a driver must still be present to intervene if necessary. This is no longer necessary with the RT6, which should cut the cost of a taxi by half, according to Baidu. It is not yet known who will build the Apollo RT6. Baidu previously entered into collaborations with Geely and BAIC, among others. In the meantime, Geely is also working on its own robotic axi under the Zeekr brand.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl