DEPLOY

Buying guide

Apollo RT6

By Baidu · av

Price
$37,000· manufacturer target
Availability
Internal use only (not for retail).
Maturity
commercial
Real-world use
Yes, 7 verified deployments

Baidu's Apollo RT6 is the company's sixth-generation autonomous robotaxi: a purpose-built battery-electric vehicle (a cross between an SUV and a minivan, with a detachable steering wheel) on Baidu's Apollo Galaxy / Xinghe self-driving platform, powering the Apollo Go fully-driverless commercial ride-hailing service across Chinese cities and some international markets. There is no consumer price: it is a robotaxi service vehicle, not sold to consumers. Baidu manufactures it without relying on a third-party automaker at roughly 204,600 RMB (about $28,600) per vehicle, about half the cost of the prior generation: a verified per-vehicle build cost (from Baidu's disclosures), not a consumer price. It is one of the Chinese commercial-at-scale anchors of the robotaxi cluster.

Readiness

Apollo RT6 is internal use only (not for retail) at $37,000 (manufacturer target), the 1 capability claim on file is all autonomous with verified, 7 verified deployments are on file, and 2 incidents are on record.

Availability
internal-only

Internal use only (not for retail).

see evidence →

Price honesty
manufacturer-target

One price on file: $37,000 (manufacturer target).

see evidence →

Capability honesty
autonomous

1 reviewed claim: autonomous, verified.

see evidence →

Real-world use
commercial

Maturity: commercial. 7 verified deployments in the registry.

see evidence →

Safety record
incidents-on-file

2 incidents on record across 7 verified deployments.

see evidence →

What it claims to do

Price

Real-world use

Safety record

Privacy

Privacy practices disclosed by Baidu for Apollo RT6, with verification status.

Specs

battery
swap-capable
max_speed
120 km/h
drive_mode
battery-electric
autonomy_level
fully-driverless
compute_platform
Baidu's Apollo Galaxy / Xinghe self-driving platform

What's under the hood

Frequently asked questions

Is the Apollo RT6 actually available for purchase?
Not available to consumers. In internal use by Baidu.Source: Apollo Go 1,000+ vehicles in Wuhan (largest China deployment), per-vehicle profitability
What does the Apollo RT6 cost?
Apollo RT6 costs $37,000 one-time (manufacturer target).Source: Baidu World 2022 — Robin Li discloses Apollo RT6 vehicle cost target: 250,000 CNY (~$37,000 USD); half the cost of RT5
Does the Apollo RT6 really transports passengers?
Yes, verified. Apollo RT6 performs this autonomously.Sources: Baidu Apollo -- official site; Apollo Go robotaxi service operates fully driverless (no safety driver) commercial paid rides in Wuhan, Beijing, and other Chinese cities, Baidu gets green light for fully driverless commercial robotaxi operations in China -- Reuters, August 2022; documents Chinese government permits for driverless commercial paid robotaxi service
Where is the Apollo RT6 being used?
Apollo RT6 is in use at: Abu Dhabi operated by Baidu, Dubai operated by Baidu (2026-03-30), Shenzhen operated by Baidu (2024-01-01), Beijing, China operated by Baidu (2022-12-29), and Chongqing operated by Baidu (2022-08-08), plus 2 more.Source: Apollo Go x K2 AutoGo commence fully-autonomous ride-hailing on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; phased expansion across Abu Dhabi
What's the Apollo RT6 running on?
Apollo RT6 runs on Apollo ADFM (Baidu) (foundation-model, commercial maturity).
Is the Apollo RT6 safe?
Incidents on record: 2 (1 regulatory_action, 1 injury). See China suspended new robotaxi/AV permits nationwide after the Apollo Go Wuhan outage.Source: China suspended new robotaxi/AV permits nationwide after the Apollo Go Wuhan outage
How does the Apollo RT6 handle privacy?
Baidu has disclosed 8 privacy practices for Apollo RT6: location tracking (Records your pickup, drop-off, and intermediate locations, along with your full route, timing, and distance), third-party sharing (Shares your personal data with Baidu's affiliated companies), capture indicator (Chinese regulations require the car to continuously record in-car video and audio during every trip and send it in real time to both Baid..), location tracking (Collects your precise GPS location, your full trip path, and detailed device identifiers including your phone's IMEI, app tracking ID, SI..), third-party sharing (Apollo Go shares your data with Baidu companies and uses outside SDKs from device makers, social platforms, telecom operators, and paymen..), data retention (Baidu keeps your ride data only as long as needed to provide the service, extending retention only for legal, dispute, or technical reaso..), data deletion control (You can request deletion of your data and Baidu commits to complete it within 10 working days. You can also close your account through th..), and training data use (Baidu can mine and analyze anonymized data for commercial use, but the policy does not say whether this includes training AI models).Sources: https://idgdata.apollogoonline.com/acc/robotaxi-h5/privacy/ride-hailing/dubai, https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/13/china-autonomous-vehicle-driving-regulation/
Who makes the Apollo RT6?
Apollo RT6 is made by Baidu, based in Beijing, China.Source: Apollo Go 1,000+ vehicles in Wuhan (largest China deployment), per-vehicle profitability

Video

PRIMARY SOURCE
Courtesy of Baidu

Baidu's reveal of the purpose-built Apollo RT6, the vehicle for its Apollo Go robotaxi fleet. A product unveil, not proof of driverless operation.

PRIMARY SOURCE
Courtesy of Baidu

Official Baidu video introducing Apollo Moon, the next-generation autonomous vehicle for ride-hailing created in partnership with BAIC Group's ARCFOX. Features ANP-Robotaxi architecture, sensor redundancy, 5G remote driving, and a production cost of RMB 480K.

Manufacturer

Baidu (registry record: /companies/baidu)

Compare side by side

Sources

  1. Baidu Q1 2026 earnings (6-K Ex-99.1): Apollo Go 22M cumulative public rides (Apr 2026), 3.2M Q1 fully-driverless rides, 100% fully-driverless in mainland cities incl. Beijing/Shenzhen; 330M autonomous km · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1329099/000119312526228123/d156481dex991.htm
  2. Apollo Go (official) - Dubai: MoU with Dubai RTA to deploy 1,000 robotaxis (RT6 fleet) · https://www.apollogo.com/news/365
  3. Baidu unveils next-gen Apollo RT6 robotaxi (purpose-built L4, half taxi-fare cost) · https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-unveils-next-gen-autonomous-vehicle-ready-to-provide-driverless-robotaxi-half-of-taxi-fares-301590644.html
  4. Baidu delivers 6th-gen Apollo RT6 (RMB 204,600; 1200 TOPS, ~38 sensors, 3-min battery swap) · https://www.chinapev.com/baidu/baidu-delivers-sixth-generation-apollo-rt6-autonomous-vehicle-priced-at-rmb-204600/
  5. Baidu launches 6th-gen RT6 robotaxi (5 LiDAR, swappable LFP, JMC manufacturing) · https://carnewschina.com/2024/05/15/baidu-launches-6th-generation-robotaxi-costs-less-than-a-xiaomi-su7/
  6. Baidu Apollo RT6 6th-gen reveal (detachable steering wheel) · https://newatlas.com/automotive/baidu-apollo-rt6/
  7. RT6 unit economics / breakeven framing · https://technode.com/2024/05/15/baidu-expects-robotaxi-unit-to-break-even-by-2024-profit-by-2025/
  8. Apollo Go fleet hits seven million rides (RT6 deployment milestone) · https://insidechinaauto.com/2024/08/27/baidu-robotaxi-fleet-hits-seven-million-rides/
  9. Baidu Apollo launches 6th-gen RT6 robotaxi (~60% lower cost) · https://cnevpost.com/2024/05/15/baidu-apollo-launches-6th-gen-robotaxi/
  10. Apollo Go 1,000+ vehicles in Wuhan (largest China deployment), per-vehicle profitability · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/20/global-robotaxi-race-heats-up-between-us-and-chinese-rivals.html · 2025-11-20
  11. Baidu robotaxi — permits, RT6, Apollo Galaxy platform, Lyft agreement, city history · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baidu_robotaxi · 2026-01-05
  12. Baidu Q3 2025 earnings (6-K Ex-99.1): Apollo Go 100% fully-driverless in all mainland-China operating cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Haikou, Sanya) · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1329099/000119312525285391/d52736dex991.htm · 2025-11-18
  13. Baidu Q3 2025 results - Apollo Go cumulative ride orders, fully-driverless operations · https://ir.baidu.com/news-releases/news-release-details/baidu-announces-third-quarter-2025-results
  14. Baidu's Apollo launches the world's first L4 autonomous-driving foundation model (Apollo ADFM) · https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/baidus-apollo-launches-worlds-first-foundation-model-supporting-l4-autonomous-driving
  15. Baidu Apollo - autonomous driving platform (official) · https://apollo.auto/
  16. Baidu Apollo Go expands robotaxi operations to ~20 cities in China (Jan 2026) · https://cnevpost.com/2026/01/15/baidu-apollo-go-robotaxi-operations-20-cities-china/
  17. Baidu Apollo -- official site; Apollo Go robotaxi service operates fully driverless (no safety driver) commercial paid rides in Wuhan, Beijing, and other Chinese cities · https://apollo.baidu.com/ · 2022-08-01
  18. Baidu gets green light for fully driverless commercial robotaxi operations in China -- Reuters, August 2022; documents Chinese government permits for driverless commercial paid robotaxi service · https://www.reuters.com/technology/baidu-gets-green-light-fully-driverless-commercial-robotaxi-operations-china-2022-08-08/ · 2022-08-08
  19. Baidu World 2022 — Robin Li discloses Apollo RT6 vehicle cost target: 250,000 CNY (~$37,000 USD); half the cost of RT5 · https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/21/baidu-launches-apollo-rt6-an-autonomous-car-with-removable-steering-wheel/ · 2022-07-21
  20. Apollo Go x K2 AutoGo commence fully-autonomous ride-hailing on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; phased expansion across Abu Dhabi · https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidus-apollo-go-and-k2s-autogo-commence-fully-autonomous-ride-hailing-service-on-yas-island-announce-phased-expansion-across-abu-dhabi-302663468.html
  21. Abu Dhabi Mobility expands autonomous robotaxi service with Autogo and Apollo Go · https://admobility.gov.ae/en/news/autogo-and-apollo-go
  22. Apollo Go launches fully driverless public robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi · https://autonews.gasgoo.com/articles/news/apollo-go-launches-fully-driverless-public-robotaxi-service-in-abu-dhabi-2013256225322278912
  23. Baidu launches fully driverless ride-hailing service in Abu Dhabi (first overseas) · https://kr-asia.com/baidu-launches-fully-driverless-ride-hailing-service-in-abu-dhabi
  24. Baidu Apollo Go starts fully-driverless commercial operations in Dubai (Mar 30, 2026) · https://cnevpost.com/2026/03/31/baidu-apollo-go-starts-driverless-commercial-operations-dubai/
  25. Apollo Go enters strategic partnership with Dubai RTA (RT6; first international fleet; Mar 2025) · https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidus-apollo-go-enters-strategic-partnership-with-dubai-rta-to-deploy-robotaxis-in-dubai-302414511.html
  26. Dubai launches first driverless-taxi control centre with Apollo Go; first permit issued · https://gulfnews.com/uae/transport/dubai-opens-first-driverless-taxi-control-centre-first-permit-issued-1.500401882
  27. Apollo Go starts robotaxi road tests in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (2025 testing phase) · https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/baidus-apollo-go-to-start-robotaxi-road-tests-in-abu-dhabi-dubai
  28. Apollo Go expands robotaxi services to the UAE (RT6 fleet; RTA framing) · https://www.middleeastainews.com/p/baidu-apollo-go-robotaxi-expands-uae
  29. Baidu launches commercial fully driverless ride-hailing service in Shenzhen (Jun 2023) · https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-launches-commercial-fully-driverless-ride-hailing-service-in-shenzhen-expanding-nationwide-operations-301853087.html
  30. Apollo Go permitted for fully unmanned commercial operation in Shenzhen Pingshan District · https://autonews.gasgoo.com/articles/icv/70023075
  31. Apollo Go permitted to charge fares with unmanned robotaxi in Shenzhen Bao'an District (2024) · https://autonews.gasgoo.com/icv/70031096.html
  32. Baidu wins Beijing's first fully-driverless ride-hailing permit (Yizhuang) · https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-wins-china-capital-citys-first-ever-permit-to-provide-fully-driverless-ride-hailing-service-301774850.html
  33. Baidu wins approval for driverless cab service in Beijing Yizhuang (10 cabs, 60 sq km) · https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3213930/robotaxis-beijing-chinas-baidu-wins-approval-offer-driverless-cab-service-yizhuang-economic
  34. Apollo Go gets permit for fully driverless rides in Beijing · https://cnevpost.com/2023/03/17/baidus-apollo-go-gets-permit-fully-driverless-rides-beijing/
  35. Baidu first in China to offer driverless airport rides (Beijing Daxing) · https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-becomes-first-in-china-to-offer-driverless-airport-rides-301910249.html
  36. Baidu Apollo Go robotaxi fleet reaches 1,000-vehicle milestone (RT6 context) · https://cnevpost.com/2025/05/22/baidu-apollo-go-robotaxi-1000-milestone/
  37. Baidu granted China's first-ever fully-driverless commercial permits (Chongqing Yongchuan 30 sq km + Wuhan, Aug 2022) · https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-granted-chinas-first-ever-permits-for-commercial-fully-driverless-ride-hailing-services-301601296.html
  38. Baidu greenlighted for China's first commercial driverless robotaxi (Chongqing Yongchuan) · https://autonews.gasgoo.com/articles/news/baidu-greenlighted-for-chinas-first-ever-commercial-driverless-robotaxi-service-70021009
  39. Baidu to operate fully driverless commercial robotaxi in Wuhan and Chongqing · https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/07/baidu-to-operate-fully-driverless-commercial-robotaxi-in-wuhan-and-chongqing/
  40. Chongqing, Wuhan kick off commercial operation of fully unmanned auto-driving · https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1272454.shtml
  41. Baidu sixth-gen RT6 robotaxi begins operations in China · https://www.autonomousvehicleinternational.com/news/robotaxis/baidu-sixth-gen-robotaxi-begins-operations-in-china.html
  42. Apollo Go 17M+ cumulative orders; Wuhan nearing break-even (company claims) · https://carnewschina.com/2025/11/13/baidus-apollo-go-robotaxi-leads-global-autonomous-driving-with-17m-orders-targets-profit-this-year/
  43. Apollo Go Wuhan fleet grows from 5 to 300 vehicles in a year · https://www.autonomousvehicleinternational.com/news/robotaxis/baidus-apollo-go-robotaxi-fleet-in-wuhan-goes-from-5-to-300-vehicles-in-one-year.html
  44. Baidu Apollo · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baidu_Apollo
  45. https://idgdata.apollogoonline.com/acc/robotaxi-h5/privacy/ride-hailing/dubai
  46. https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/13/china-autonomous-vehicle-driving-regulation/

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