China Suspends New Level 4 AV Licenses After Baidu Robotaxi Stoppage

Chinese regulators have suspended the issuance of new licenses for Level 4 autonomous vehicles after more than 100 Baidu Apollo Go robotaxis abruptly stopped operating in Wuhan in late March, causing widespread traffic disruptions.

The incident, which involved vehicles lining up motionless on roads and highways, led to congestion and reports of collisions that stranded passengers. Preliminary findings from the Wuhan traffic police point to system malfunctions as the cause. Authorities have halted Baidu's robotaxi services in the city pending a full investigation, with the duration of both the probe and the nationwide licensing freeze remaining unclear.

The suspension prevents autonomous vehicle companies from expanding fleets, launching new pilot projects or entering additional cities. It follows a high-level meeting earlier this month involving China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other agencies, where officials directed local governments to conduct safety self-reviews and enhance monitoring of intelligent connected vehicle tests.

Baidu, operator of Apollo Go, China's largest robotaxi service with hundreds of vehicles across more than a dozen cities, did...