Chinese robotaxis race Waymo to take driverless cars global

The Japan TimesCenterEN 1 min read 100% complete by Linda LewOctober 27, 2025 at 08:51 AM

AI Summary

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Chinese companies like Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide, and Pony AI are making significant strides in deploying autonomous "robotaxi" services, challenging American leaders such as Alphabet's Waymo. According to a BloombergNEF analysis, these Chinese firms have more projects progressing from testing to commercialization than their U.S. counterparts. While much of this development is occurring domestically, Chinese companies are also expanding internationally with operations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore, and plans for launches in Germany, the UK, and other European countries. The autonomous vehicle industry has faced numerous challenges, including setbacks due to accidents and funding cuts, but these Chinese firms continue to push forward globally.

Key Topics & Entities

Germany 40% United Kingdom 40% Dubai 50% Abu Dhabi 50% Singapore 50% WeRide 60% Pony AI 60% Baidu’s Apollo Go 70% Waymo ×280%

Keywords

driverless cars 100% robotaxis 90% baidu’s apollo go 80% autonomous vehicles 80% waymo 70% commercialization 60% dubai, abu dhabi and singapore 50% false dawns 40% unfulfilled promises 40%

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Positive

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The Japan Times

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Dubai

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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driverless cars robotaxis baidu’s apollo go autonomous vehicles waymo commercialization dubai, abu dhabi and singapore false dawns unfulfilled promises

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