Skip to main content

Ford and Baidu to trial self-driving vehicles in China

Ford has joined forces with technology company Baidu to test Level 4 self-driving vehicles in China over the next two years. Level 4, established by the SAE International (formerly the US Society of Automotive Engineers), will allow the vehicles to operate without intervention from a human driver. A report by CNBC says Ford’s self-driving vehicles are equipped with Baidu’s autonomous driving system Apollo. The cars are expected to be deployed in on-road tests by the end of 2018. Sherif Marakby, pr
November 5, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
278 Ford has joined forces with technology company Baidu to test Level 4 self-driving vehicles in China over the next two years.


Level 4, established by the 567 SAE International (formerly the US Society of Automotive Engineers), will allow the vehicles to operate without intervention from a human driver.

A report by %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external CNBC false https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/31/ford-and-baidu-team-up-to-test-self-driving-vehicles-in-china.html false false%> says Ford’s self-driving vehicles are equipped with Baidu’s autonomous driving system Apollo. The cars are expected to be deployed in on-road tests by the end of 2018.

Sherif Marakby, president and CEO of Ford's autonomous vehicles unit, says the initiative will allow the company to offer solutions which improve safety, convenience and overall mobility experience.

In July, Baidu extended its %$Linker: 2 Internal <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 4 36218 0 link-external partnership false /sections/general/news/daimler-and-baidu-to-develop-automated-driving-and-connectivity-in-china/ false false%> with German car manufacturer 2069 Daimler to develop automated driving and connectivity projects in China.

The partnership initially formed in 2017 to develop the Apollo platform. Daimler also joined the Apollo Committee, a group whose stated aim is to accelerate research on safer solutions in automated driving and promote the drafting of related regulations.

Related Content

  • August 26, 2016
    Used EV batteries to transform stationary storage
    According to a report (link http://about.bnef.com/landing-pages/new-life-used-ev-batteries-stationary-storage/.) by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), the electric vehicle market is set to grow quickly, but so far there has been no consensus on a ‘second-life’ for the many used EV batteries. In this report, senior analyst Claire Curry has compiled the first data and shows that low-cost energy storage could be here sooner than previously thought. She projects that there will be 29 GWh of used EV batter
  • December 3, 2018
    Majority of Brits do not think AVs will reduce accidents, says Axa
    Three-quarters of UK residents do not believe driverless cars will improve road safety, even though 90% of accidents are caused by human error. In a survey of 2,000 respondents, insurance firm Axa says only a third of UK residents believe driverless cars would be better for the environment and only 25% think the technology will improve safety for pedestrians. Axa emphasises that motorists are confused by the definition of a driverless car as well as by what sort of autonomous technology is available in mo
  • December 16, 2015
    Only four weeks left to submit papers for ITS Europe and ITS World Congress
    There are only four weeks to the deadline for submission of papers for the ITS Europe 2016 congress in Glasgow 6-9 June and for the ITS World Congress 2016 in Melbourne on 10-14 October. Submit your contribution today to the ITS European Congress in Glasgow to continue the discussion on topics introduced at ITS world Congress in Bordeaux or to introduce new research, deployments and developments in the ITS industry.
  • April 18, 2019
    Quarter of Brits ‘would fund smart city solutions from tax’
    Almost a quarter (24%) of British people would be willing to fund smart city solutions using their own tax contributions, according to new research from ATG Access. Part of road barrier specialist ATG’s ‘Smart cities: Turning the dream into a reality’ report, the research found that more than half (57%) would be happy for their tax to go towards smart traffic lights, and 44% for smarter signs which give real-time traffic updates. Nearly a quarter (24%) said they would also be willing to fund smart barrie