Ditch the driver: U.S. and China race to make self-driving taxis a reality

PHOENIX, U.S./HONG KONG -- China has passed a major mile marker on the road to commercializing self-driving technology: On Thursday, Beijing granted internet giant Baidu the country's first license to operate fully autonomous taxi services.

Apollo Go, Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing platform, began accepting fares the same day. Its fleet of 10 autonomous vehicles serve a 60 sq. km area of the capital, and the company plans to add 30 more driverless taxis in the future.