Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis came to a halt across Wuhan, China, leaving passengers trapped for up to two hours, according to multiple media reports and social media posts.
Authorities have attributed the disruption to a “system failure” affecting at least 100 robotaxis, though Baidu has not publicly explained the cause. Videos show vehicles freezing suddenly, sometimes in dangerous locations like fast-moving lanes, raising safety concerns. Local police are continuing to investigate the incident.
Baidu, one of China’s largest robotaxi operators, has been expanding internationally, including plans to deploy over 1,000 autonomous vehicles in Dubai in the coming years.
The Wuhan outage highlights ongoing questions about the reliability and safety of robotaxis. Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere, such as a power outage in California last December that caused Waymo vehicles to stall when traffic lights went down.
This incident underscores the challenges autonomous vehicles face as they scale, emphasizing the need for robust safety measures and contingency plans to protect passengers and public roadways.
