China freezes new robotaxi licenses after Baidu chaos

Dozens of Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis froze in traffic last month, sparking alarm in Beijing, Bloomberg reports.

China has suspended new licenses for autonomous vehicles, Bloomberg reports, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. The move comes after dozens of robotaxis operated by Chinese tech giant Baidu ground to a halt in traffic last month in Wuhan, creating chaos.

The restrictions will prevent companies from adding new driverless cars to their fleets, expanding into new cities, or starting new test projects. It is unclear when officials will start issuing new licenses again.

Bloomberg said the Wuhan incident alarmed authorities in Beijing, prompting regulators to urge local governments to review the sector to prevent similar episodes. It is at least the second time regulators have intervened after a Baidu-related incident, the report said, and the company’s Wuhan operations remain on pause while local authorities investigate the matter.