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Baidu has reached a major milestone in the race for driverless car dominance, matching US competitor Waymo with 250,000 weekly robotaxi rides as of October 31, according to a spokesperson for its autonomous driving unit, Apollo Go.

The achievement puts Baidu on equal footing with Waymo, the Alphabet-owned company that reported the same number of weekly rides earlier this year.

Waymo currently operates paid robotaxi services in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, with additional partnerships in Austin and Atlanta.

This milestone highlights the growing China-US rivalry in artificial intelligence and self-driving technology, as both nations race to lead the future of autonomous transportation.

While Baidu did not specify how long it has maintained this pace, the company's previous quarterly report indicated an average of 169,000 weekly rides for the period ending June 30 — suggesting rapid expansion in just a few months, CNBC reported.

Apollo Go operates primarily in Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, while also expanding internationally to Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Switzerland.

Before charging passengers, each new location must pass multiple stages of public testing and government approval.

Baidu's Apollo Go Hits 17 Million Rides

According to DailyExperts, since its launch, Apollo Go has logged 17 million total ride orders and 240 million kilometers (149 million miles) driven, including 140 million fully driverless kilometers.

The company emphasized its strong safety record, reporting only one airbag deployment per 10.1 million kilometers, with no major injuries or deaths.

Baidu's progress underscores China's commitment to advancing autonomous vehicle technology amid tight competition with US players.

Companies like Pony.ai and WeRide are also scaling their robotaxi fleets, although they have not yet released comparable weekly ride data.

Analysts note that Baidu's success could help the company strengthen its global presence as cities worldwide begin to open up to autonomous mobility.

The ability to operate safely and at scale may soon position Apollo Go as a serious global challenger to Waymo and other Western rivals.

Baidu is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings report on November 18, following its annual technology conference in Beijing on November 13.

Industry watchers expect updates on Apollo Go's expansion plans and potential new partnerships.