Baidu, which is basically China's version of Google, has unveiled a new autonomous vehicle (AV) that offers the steering wheel as an optional extra.
As Auto Futures reports, this is Baidu's latest iteration of an AV, which it calls the Apollo RT6. The new vehicle is expected to carry a price tag of roughly $37,000. That's a huge cost reduction compared to the previous AV model Baidu sold, which was priced at $71,000, Reuters reports.
Traveling in a car that doesn't have a steering wheel may be disconcerting for some passengers, but Baidu managed to achieve Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities using 36 sensors, including 12 cameras and eight LIDARs. It's considered fully autonomous, but usually Level 4 vehicles allow a human to request control.
Baidu's intention is to introduce this AV as a cheap, autonomous taxi next year across China using its Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service. The extra space inside the vehicle created by removing the steering wheel will be used for a vending machine, game console, desk area, or extra seating. I suspect the vending machine will work best for generating additional income during taxi rides, though.
Speaking at the Baidu World conference, the company's chief executive Robin Li said, "This massive cost reduction will enable us to deploy tens of thousands of AVs across China ... We are moving towards a future where taking a robotaxi will be half the cost of taking a taxi today."