China Robotaxi Outage Strands Passengers on Highways
An unexpected technical failure resulted in Baidu’s robotaxis becoming immobilized on Tuesday, stranding passengers for over an hour. This incident primarily occurred in Wuhan, a city in central China where Baidu has deployed its Apollo Go self-driving taxis.
Passengers Stranded by Baidu’s Robotaxi Outage
Social media outlets in China buzzed with reports and videos showing the halted Baidu vehicles in the fast lane of busy highways. A college student identified only by her last name, He, shared her experience of being trapped in a robotaxi with two friends for approximately 90 minutes. During their trip, the vehicle malfunctioned multiple times before coming to a stop at an intersection.
Passenger Experiences
- The robotaxi halted four or five times during their journey.
- Passengers were advised to stay in the vehicle with their seatbelts on.
- The company’s display system promised a representative would arrive “in five minutes,” but no one came.
- After waiting for another hour, the passengers chose to exit the vehicle themselves.
Many other users on Chinese social media voiced their frustration about the lack of accessible customer support. One individual noted that attempts to reach out using the app were unsuccessful, and the SOS feature was unavailable. This person had to force open the door to escape as traffic came to a standstill behind their vehicle.
Investigation and Reactions
Wuhan’s local police issued a statement around midnight, suggesting the incident was likely due to a system malfunction. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and all passengers were able to leave the affected vehicles. The exact number of robotaxis impacted remains unclear.
Dashcam Footage and Collision Reports
Dashcam videos shared online illustrated the chaos, showing other vehicles narrowly preventing collisions with the stranded Apollo Go taxis. In one instance, a man reported crashing into a Baidu robotaxi after a vehicle in front swerved to avoid one of the halted taxis.
His orange SUV was later seen being towed, with significant damage to its front-right fender. This incident highlights not only the safety concerns surrounding autonomous vehicles but also the pressing need for reliable customer service during technical failures.
Baidu has yet to comment on the situation. As the investigation into the robotaxi outage continues, many are calling for improvements in both technology and customer response protocols.
