(Yicai) Oct. 10 -- Baidu plans to take Apollo Go offshore following the initial success of its autonomous ride-hailing service in the Chinese mainland, Yicai learned from people familiar with the matter.

The Chinese tech titan has started talking with foreign carmakers, ride-hailing platforms, and other tech firms about deploying Apollo Go beyond the mainland through local alliances, Nikkei Asia reported yesterday, citing sources. But the timing, potential locations and partners have not been settled on yet, it said. There are also rumors that Apollo Go may launch in Hong Kong.

Beijing-based Baidu has not yet commented on the matter.

A number of other Chinese autonomous driving companies, such as Pony.ai and WeRide, have already started expanding into other markets, conducting self-driving vehicle tests and commercial operations in the United States, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries.

Apollo Go has expanded in various Chinese cities, offering commercial robotaxi services, while Baidu has been leveraging its artificial intelligence and big data capabilities to improve its self-driving technologies.

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

As autonomous driving technology advances, Japan, Singapore, and several European nations have begun permitting self-driving vehicle testing and road use to varying degrees.

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

Apollo Go received around 899,000 bookings in the second quarter of this year, up 26 percent from a year earlier, bringing the total to more than 7 million, according to Baidu's latest financial report. Baidu's sixth-generation autonomous vehicle, the RT6, has started large-scale, fully driverless road testing.

Editor: Martin Kadiev