China’s Baidu and CATL! Baidu and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) have teamed up in a strategic alliance to work together on advancing autonomous vehicle technology, battery innovation, and AI-driven solutions.
In Ningde, the agreement took place at CATL’s headquarters in Fujian province, with Baidu founder and CEO Robin Li and CATL chairman and CEO Robin Zeng present. Baidu’s vice president Shi Qinghua and CATL’s vice president of domestic passenger car product lines Liu Changyan signed the agreement on behalf of their respective companies. Under this partnership, the companies will focus on driverless mobility services, digitalization, and AI-powered manufacturing.
CATL will integrate battery swap solutions, its power batteries, and skateboard chassis into autonomous vehicles as part of this collaboration. The companies plan to develop competitive driverless vehicle models and innovative business strategies to expand mobility services. Baidu will contribute its AI capabilities to support CATL’s digital transformation at the chip, platform, and application levels.
Baidu’s autonomous driving unit, Apollo, also confirmed the partnership, marking the first collaboration between the two firms.
In 2024, CATL stands as the world’s largest power battery manufacturer, with a global installed capacity of 339.3 GWh, accounting for 37.9% of the market, according to SNE Research. Baidu, a key player in China’s autonomous driving sector since 2013, has launched six generations of robotaxis and operates Apollo Go, a self-driving taxi service available in over 10 Chinese cities.
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Apollo Go gained approval to conduct testing in Hong Kong in November, expanding beyond mainland China. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the service handled approximately 1.1 million trips, a 36% year-on-year increase. By January, Apollo Go had provided over 9 million cumulative rides.
Robin Li, CEO of Baidu, recently announced that the Apollo Go fleet and its ride numbers are projected to expand at an extraordinary pace throughout this year. Baidu is also seeking additional partnerships and actively identifies mobile service providers, local cab companies, and fleet operators as potential collaborators.China’s Baidu and CATL
