Multiple self-driving taxis operated by Baidu's Apollo Go service stalled in the middle of the road in Wuhan, China, on Tuesday night, leaving passengers stranded for hours. Local police confirmed that the incidents were caused by a 'system malfunction', with authorities receiving calls 'one after another' from distressed riders.
One passenger recounted a 90-minute ordeal on social media, stating that their vehicle broke down on an elevated highway at 9pm local time. The rider said they could not reach customer service initially, and after repeated calls, were told a specialist had been dispatched. Their order was eventually cancelled at 10.30pm, leaving them stuck on the overpass surrounded by dump trucks. The passenger accused Apollo Go customer service of offering 'useless platitudes' rather than practical solutions.
Videos uploaded to social media showed riders attempting to contact the company via in-car tablets, with one user captioning their footage: 'Apollo Go, are you paralysed?' Police did not specify how many of Baidu's fleet of over 500 driverless cars in Wuhan were affected.
This is not the first incident involving Baidu's robotaxis. In December 2024, authorities in Zhuzhou suspended operations after a Baidu autonomous vehicle hit two pedestrians, leaving them in intensive care. Baidu, which launched Apollo Go to the public in Beijing in 2020, reported 3.4 million driverless rides in the fourth quarter of 2025, a 200% increase year-on-year. The company has recently struck deals with Lyft and Uber to deploy its vehicles on their platforms as it expands internationally. Baidu did not respond to a request for comment.
