More than 100 Baidu-operated robotaxis in Wuhan, China, halted simultaneously due to a system malfunction, leaving passengers stranded for up to two hours, according to multiple reports including TechCrunch and The Independent. The stoppage occurred on Tuesday night and caused significant disruption as the driverless vehicles froze in the middle of busy roads.
Local authorities confirmed the incident and reported receiving numerous calls from stranded riders, with police stating no injuries occurred during the outage, as detailed by The Guardian and The Verge. Customer service efforts were described as ineffective by affected passengers, underscoring challenges in managing such autonomous system failures.
The underlying cause of the system failure has not been disclosed by Baidu, and the incident is currently under investigation by local authorities, according to The Guardian World. This event further exposes the technical vulnerabilities of autonomous vehicle technology, especially in complex urban transport environments.
The incident in Wuhan is part of broader difficulties faced by companies deploying robotaxis, with ongoing questions about reliability and safety in real-world operating conditions. Observers will be watching for Baidu’s official findings and any regulatory responses that may impact the future rollout of self-driving taxi services in China.
Wuhan
Baidu
