Are China's self-driving cars overtaking US peers?

Baidu Apollo beats Google Waymo in California's autonomous vehicle report for the first time

030120NY Baidu Apollo

Baidu-backed Apollo came first in California's 2019 ranking of self-driving technologies as measured by disengagements per mile. (Photo courtesy of Baidu) 

YIFAN YU, Nikkei staff writer

PALO ALTO, U.S. -- Chinese internet titan Baidu has snatched Google's crown in one of the few widely recognized measures of progress in autonomous driving technology -- but the race to develop a truly self-driving car is still wide open.

Autonomous driving is a relatively opaque industry, as companies keep the details of their proprietary technologies under wraps and there are few if any established authorities capable of evaluating the nascent field.

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