[KR-US-China Robo-taxi Showdown]① Singing and Getting Massages in Taxis... Chinese Youths Are Enthusiastic

“After working late, I relieve my stress by singing in a robo-taxi. I don’t have to worry about the driver, and the interior is clean, so I use it frequently.”

On March 3, at the Yizhuang Economic-Technological Development Area in Beijing, office worker Han Chunyang cited the biggest advantage of robo-taxis (fully autonomous taxis) as being a “private entertainment space.” For him, who often works overtime, a robo-taxi is more than just a means of transportation-it’s a “mobile karaoke room” that helps him unwind on his way home from work.

In fact, the robo-taxis operated by Pony AI and Baidu are introducing a variety of artificial intelligence (AI) features targeting younger users. When a passenger boards and asks by voice, “Play a song,” the in-car screen activates karaoke mode. Some vehicles are equipped with massage features and heated seats-amenities previously found only in luxury models-to maximize passenger comfort.

Thanks to such services, the number of robo-taxi users is rapidly increasing, especially among young people in China. During this year’s Spring Festival, the average number of rides per Pony AI robo-taxi reached 26 per day, indicating that these vehicles are proving to be economically viable.

These changes are easy to spot on the roads of downtown Beijing. On a narrow, two-lane road, a car parked on the shoulder suddenly merged into traffic without using its turn signal. The following vehicle honked briefly. Yet, there was no one in the driver’s seat. Looking around, one out of every five vehicles on the road had an empty driver’s seat-it was a robo-taxi, driving itself along the road.

China is accelerating the commercialization of robo-taxis. In 17 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Shenzhen, thousands of robo-taxis are transporting passengers without drivers. Robo-taxis in China are already considered to have surpassed average human driving abilities. The focus of industry competition has now shifted from “technological rivalry” to “profit models.” The new competitive edge is who can create a service that reliably generates revenue.

At the Yizhuang Economic-Technological Development Area, I personally used robo-taxis operated by Baidu (Apollo Go), Pony AI, and Wayride. In Beijing, robo-taxis are being piloted in an area of about 225 square kilometers. This region is home to clusters of advanced industries such as IT, new energy, biotech, robotics, and smart manufacturing.

On the 3rd, a Wayride robo-taxi, a self-driving company, was running on the roads of Yizhuang, Beijing. The driver's seat is covered with a plastic protective cover to prevent passengers from operating it. Beijing, China ? Photo by Seungjin Lee

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The process of using a robo-taxi was simpler than expected. As with taxi-hailing applications in Korea, you simply enter your pickup and destination in the app for each service. However, some services require a local mobile number for registration, so use by foreigners can be restricted.

I first called a Wayride robo-taxi. You could choose between a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) or a sport utility vehicle (SUV). On this day, I selected an MPV. About five minutes later, a black MPV approached slowly with its hazard lights on. LiDAR and various sensors were mounted on the roof, but from the outside, it looked much like an ordinary car.

A keypad for entering the call number was located on the side of the vehicle. After entering the number, the door opened automatically. The interior was much like a regular taxi. The center console had a touchscreen accessible to rear-seat passengers, and the driver’s seat was covered with a plastic shield to prevent passengers from operating it. I entered my mobile phone number on the screen and pressed the “close door” button; the door closed automatically. A safety belt reminder appeared, and after buckling up, the vehicle slowly set off with a “departing now” announcement.

After traveling about 6 kilometers to my destination, I felt that it was actually safer than a human driver. The robo-taxi always used its turn signals when changing lanes and never exceeded the speed limit. There were no blind spots-common for human drivers. Even in unprotected left-turn situations, it simultaneously detected oncoming vehicles, vehicles behind, and vehicles in the target lane, passing through intersections smoothly.

There were moments when acceleration, braking, or steering felt somewhat mechanical, but never to the point of discomfort for passengers.

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All three robo-taxi brands I used that day demonstrated stable driving performance. The fare for a 5-kilometer ride was around 3,000 won, slightly cheaper than a regular taxi. However, there were differences in the artificial intelligence (AI) features installed in the vehicles. The main distinction was in how well the vehicle could communicate with passengers.

With Pony AI and Baidu robo-taxis, you could talk to the AI by voice. When I said, “Nihao Popo, I’m feeling down today” in a Pony AI vehicle, the AI immediately responded, “Would you like me to play a song?”

You could also use voice commands to open windows or operate the air conditioning and heated seats. Some vehicles even had massage features typically found in luxury sedans. One notable feature was the ability to detect the passenger’s location. When I asked to turn on the heated seat, the vehicle’s display showed, “Activating heated seat for the left rear passenger.” The AI could identify which seat the voice was coming from.

There were also differences in how the vehicles responded to unexpected situations. If a car in the adjacent lane suddenly cut in or if a pedestrian darted onto the road, Pony AI and Baidu vehicles did more than just slow down-they sounded their horn when needed to alert surrounding vehicles to their presence.

Pony AI Driving Video. Beijing, China - Photo by Seungjin Lee

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Despite the advanced technology, there were still limitations. The first inconvenience I encountered was the restriction on pick-up locations. When I tried to call a vehicle in front of a hotel lobby, the area was not recognized as an official road, so the car could not be summoned. In the end, I had to walk about 100 meters out to a main road beyond the hotel grounds.

Also, if you don’t board within three minutes after the robo-taxi arrives, it leaves to avoid obstructing traffic. A human driver might call or text to check your status, but a robo-taxi cannot do so. The vehicle circled the block and then returned to the pick-up spot.

The biggest variable, however, was human drivers. While the robo-taxi was making a left turn, the car in front suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. The robo-taxi also came to a halt. Even though the light had changed, the vehicle was stuck in the intersection waiting for the next signal. If a human had been driving, they would probably have maneuvered into the adjacent lane.

Yet there was an interesting scene. When other drivers realized that the car stuck in the middle of the intersection was a robo-taxi, instead of honking, they quietly steered around it.

Interior view of "Apollo Go," the robo-taxi by Chinese autonomous driving company Baidu. For passenger safety, the screen displays the drop-off location. Beijing, China - Photo by Seungjin Lee

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Mr. Liu, a resident of the Yizhuang area who has used all three brands of robo-taxis, said, “Robo-taxis strictly observe speed limits, so I don’t use them when I’m in a hurry. But when traveling with my child, I choose robo-taxis because they are safe.”

However, for further commercialization, prices need to come down to improve accessibility. Another obstacle is that there is still no social consensus on robo-taxis taking over jobs.

A taxi driver, who requested anonymity, said, “Right now, since the fares are similar and robo-taxis drive more slowly than people, taxi drivers don’t feel a major threat. But if the number of robo-taxis increases and prices drop significantly, it could become a real problem.”

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