Baidu;s Carrot Run will enter the driverless taxi market in Singapore and Malaysia

According to the latest report from Bloomberg, Baidu plans to launch its driverless taxi service, Carrot Run, in Singapore and Malaysia this year. This move marks that Baidu is accelerating its pace of expanding overseas markets, actively contacting potential local partners, and exploring the most suitable operating model for the two countries' markets.

Baidu CEO Robin Li has previously stated that the company is seeking to cooperate with travel platforms, local taxi companies and third-party fleet operators to implement a light asset strategy. This move comes at a time when Tesla is about to launch the Cybercab driverless taxi network, showing that autonomous driving technology is becoming a new focus in the travel industry.

Carrot Run has a rapid development momentum. Currently, there are more than 1,000 autonomous vehicles deployed worldwide, most of which are located in China. In the first quarter of this year, its cumulative service trips reached 11 million times, surpassing the paid trip record of Waymo, a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet. In addition, Baidu is also evaluating the possibility of entering the European and Turkish markets, and is negotiating with Swiss Post subsidiary PostAuto to launch services in Switzerland.

With the launch of Carrot Run in Singapore and Malaysia, Baidu's driverless taxi service will cover more international markets and provide more secure travel options for global users.