(Yicai) Oct. 10 -- Chinese tech behemoth Baidu plans to take its autonomous ride-hailing service Apollo Go offshore after the business has shown initial success in the domestic market.

According to a report by Nikkei, Baidu has begun discussions with foreign carmakers, ride-hailing platforms, and other tech companies to deploy Apollo Go overseas through local alliances. However, specific countries and potential partners remain unknown.

Baidu has not responded yet, but the timing and locations for these overseas joint ventures are reportedly not yet finalized, while rumors are also circulating about Apollo Go launching in Hong Kong.

Baidu's autonomous driving tests are primarily concentrated in China and the United States. It also previously collaborated with SoftBank Group's unit SB Drive and manufacturer King Long to supply a small batch of Apolong mini buses to Japan.

As autonomous driving technology continues to advance, Japan, Singapore, and several European nations have begun allowing various levels of testing and road use for self-driving vehicles.

Baidu must comply with local regulations to enter these markets, including obtaining permits for testing and operating autonomous vehicles and adhering to data protection laws and privacy policies, an industry insider told Yicai. It must also set up localized operations teams to understand market demands and user habits to provide tailored autonomous mobility services, the insider added.

Several Chinese autonomous driving manufacturers, including Pony.ai and WeRide, have begun expanding into overseas markets, conducting self-driving vehicle tests and commercial operations in the US, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries.

Apollo Go received around 899,000 autonomous driving orders in the second quarter of this year, up 26 percent from a year earlier, according to Baidu's latest financial report. Its total service volume exceeded 7 million orders.

Beijing-based Baidu's sixth-generation autonomous vehicle, the RT6, has started large-scale, fully driverless road testing.

Editor: Martin Kadiev