Baidu's Apollo, CAR Inc. to co-launch autonomous vehicle rental service

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On May 8, 2025, Apollo, Baidu's open-source autonomous driving platform, and CAR Inc., China's largest car rental platform, held a strategic signing ceremony in Beijing to announce an in-depth partnership.

The two parties will jointly launch the world's first autonomous vehicle rental service, combining technological innovation with real-world application scenarios to deliver inclusive, intelligent mobility solutions. The partnership also aims to create a future travel experience that integrates technology with culture and tourism.

This strategic alliance is set to accelerate the large-scale deployment of autonomous driving across diversified use cases, offering safer, more convenient, and more comfortable travel options.

According to market forecasts, China's car rental market is expected to exceed 300 billion yuan by 2030. The collaboration targets a critical gap in the current landscape by pioneering a new "autonomous car rental" model, enabling users to freely explore city landmarks and tourist destinations. This business model caters particularly to younger travelers seeking flexible, spontaneous trips and opens up new vehicle usage options for a broader user base.

By leveraging technology, the partnership aims to usher the culture and tourism sectors into a new era of intelligent, streamlined mobility.

Apollo, with over a decade of expertise in autonomous driving R&D, and CAR Inc., with its vast user data and nationwide service network, will pool their strengths to drive deep integration of autonomous mobility with cultural tourism. Together, they will deliver personalized, next-generation travel experiences.

The two companies also plan to jointly explore and establish operational standards for autonomous vehicles in the rental sector, ensuring that every vehicle put into service meets high benchmarks for safety, stability, and reliability. These efforts are expected to set the groundwork for standardizing and regulating the broader intelligent mobility industry.

Looking ahead, Apollo and CAR Inc. will focus on strategic market deployment and explore new application scenarios across multiple urban and tourism settings. Beginning in the second quarter of this year, the partners will co-develop scenario-specific products and continuously refine offerings based on user feedback. Over the next three to five years, the collaboration will deepen further, advancing the integration of autonomous driving across multiple sectors and achieving broader strategic alignment.