Baidu Moves Closer to Launching an Autonomous Bus Service

Baidu (BIDU) is set to release its third-quarter results at a time when the company has begun a commercial test of its autonomous bus service in China, bringing it closer to its goal of commercializing its autonomous driving technology. In July, Baidu announced that it had begun mass production of its autonomous shuttle buses, known as Apolong. Baidu intends to initially deploy its Apolong buses for shuttle services in tourist locations, airports, and other controlled areas in several Chinese cities. China estimates that its market for intelligent connected vehicles such as Apolong could be valued at $14.0 billion by 2020.