China’s Robotaxis Accelerate to Profitability on World Stage

Beep beep, move aside, human drivers — China’s robotaxis are taking over the fast lane. Over the past year, companies like BaiduBIDU

, Pony AIPONY

, and WeRideWRD

have accelerated their rollout, staking claim in global markets as US rivals scramble to keep pace. With some operators already breaking even, the industry’s long-promised tipping point may finally be here.

• Baidu’s Apollo Go has already claimed per-vehicle profitability in Wuhan — as Pony.ai and WeRide eye thousand-car Middle East fleets and ride-hailing deals to scale up fast.
• By contrast, US giants WaymoGOOGL
  and TeslaTSLA
  boast strong fleets — yet with no profits or meaningful overseas growth, they’re losing ground in the race for economies of scale.

Revving up the future: Chinese automakers are leaning hard on regulatory wins and road tests to convert scale into profits abroad. Mass adoption may be a ways away, yet the gap is closing fast, and with every new mile logged, data point collected, and partnership inked, it’s turning into a serious battlefield. As the two superpowers jockey for position, this global roadshow is only picking up speed.