Apollo RT6: Baidu unveils its latest autonomous electric vehicle

Baidu, a Chinese search engine and artificial intelligence firm, unveiled its latest electric autonomous driving vehicle Apollo RT6 today. The Apollo RT6 will be soon be part of Baidu's robotaxi fleet, as China pushes forward with its autonomous driving ambitions.

It is a fully electric vehicle with a steering wheel that can be removed or installed when required, and will cost 250,000 yuan ($37,000) per unit.

Baidu already runs Apollo Go, an autonomous ride-hailing service using self-driving robotaxis with safety staff seated in the driver or passenger seat. It has launched Apollo Go in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, although the service is limited to specific areas.

The RT6 also attained the industry's Level 4 out of five possible levels of technology. That means its systems can operate without a driver but must be pre-loaded with a detailed map, thus limiting the areas where the vehicles can operate.

Lower levels of technology range from cruise control, a feature that has been available for decades, up to Level 3, which allows hands-free highway driving. Self-driving robot carts already are widely used in factories, warehouses and other tightly controlled settings.

The Apollo RT6 was designed specifically with autonomous driving in mind, compared to previous generations where the technology was retrofitted on conventional vehicles. The steering wheel-free design allows more space for the installation of extra seating or other additions, even a gaming console or vending machine.