Baidu Plans to Mass Produce Autonomous Cars in Five Years

HONG KONG—Chinese search-engine giant Baidu Inc. Senior Vice President Wang Jing said Friday that the company plans to mass produce a driverless car in five years.

Baidu, which is China's largest search-company with 80% market share, is already testing its model on public roads in Beijing and in Wuhu, in China's southeastern Anhui province, and in a closed testing area in Shanghai. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal's Converge technology conference, Mr. Wang said he hopes Baidu's car can be tested in 10 cities across China to experience different weather, road and traffic conditions.

Mr. Wang added that the race to make self-driving cars is a big enough space for both Baidu and Google parent Alphabet Inc.

"The market right now is very early so it's big enough for many players," Mr. Wang said. "I don't think anyone can dominate this area."

Details of how self-driving cars will communicate with other cars on the road—with both human and robotic drivers—are still being hammered out, Mr. Wang said, adding, "I don't think right now self-driving cars can handle a policeman waving to you."

Still, he said the biggest benefit for automated cars in China will be to improve safety and increase ride sharing. Mr. Wang said 93% of accidents in China are currently caused by human error, and that Baidu is open to partnering with ride-sharing companies. Baidu already has invested in Uber Inc. and Uber China, but wouldn't dismiss working with Uber's homegrown rival in China, Didi Chuxing, formerly known as Didi Kuaidi.

One of the biggest hurdles for automated cars is policies and laws that lag behind the technology. Mr. Wang said he hopes China will follow suit in revising laws, and that countries will gradually change their infrastructure to accommodate automated vehicles.

"It won't happen overnight," he said, adding that he hopes Baidu can launch its car in multiple countries simultaneously.

When it comes to style, Mr. Wang said the first batch of self-driving cars will still have steering wheels—even though they don't really have too—in case people want to "drive for fun."

Write to Alyssa Abkowitz at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 02, 2016 23:45 ET (03:45 GMT)

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