Baidu, a leading Chinese tech company, has reported a deceleration in the growth of its Apollo Go robotaxi rides for the first half of 2024. According to figures released Thursday, the monthly average of Apollo Go rides increased by 26% year-on-year, reaching 287,500 rides. This growth rate is a significant slowdown compared to the 184% year-on-year increase recorded in the same period of 2023.

Despite the rise in the number of rides, Baidu’s robotaxi fleet still includes vehicles that require a safety driver and are not fully autonomous. As of July 28, Apollo Go had operated a total of 7 million rides, up from 6 million in April. The service first surpassed the 1 million ride mark in July 2022.

In Wuhan, Apollo Go’s largest operational area, most robotaxis now operate fully autonomously without safety drivers, a development that Baidu CEO Robin Li noted has considerably reduced operational costs. However, the increase in autonomous rides has coincided with a surge in interest in ride-hailing jobs, raising concerns about the impact of automation on employment.

Currently, Apollo Go commands a modest 1% share of the ride-hailing market in Wuhan. Baidu’s local fleet comprises around 400 robotaxis, with plans to expand to 1,000 by year-end. Despite a 23% increase in monthly rides in July, Baidu’s share of the overall ride-hailing market remains minimal compared to traditional services like Didi, which reported an 8.7% rise in gross transaction value for the quarter ending June 30.

Li acknowledged that while growth in robotaxi rides is robust, it remains a small fraction of the overall market, emphasizing that achieving a significant market share will be a long-term endeavor.