Key Takeaways
- More than 100 Apollo Go autonomous taxis froze in traffic across Wuhan on Tuesday following a system malfunction
- Some riders remained stuck inside vehicles for up to two hours, with at least one highway accident documented
- Local authorities verified the incident and stated all passengers evacuated safely while investigations continue
- The malfunction has sparked renewed controversy on Chinese platforms regarding autonomous driving technology
- Baidu remains silent and has issued no official statement regarding the breakdown
Baidu’s Apollo Go service — China’s most extensive autonomous taxi network — encountered a major disruption Tuesday evening when over 100 self-driving vehicles abruptly halted on active roadways throughout Wuhan.
Authorities in Wuhan issued a statement on Weibo acknowledging the episode, attributing it to a “system malfunction.” While all passengers were eventually able to leave the vehicles unharmed, several hesitated to exit due to surrounding traffic conditions and contacted emergency services for assistance.
Footage authenticated by Reuters and circulated on Douyin depicted the vehicles obstructing traffic lanes on major thoroughfares, creating widespread congestion throughout the city. Social media reports indicate at least one highway crash occurred during the incident.
Certain passengers found themselves confined in the immobilized vehicles for approximately two hours before normal operations resumed. Apollo Go personnel collaborated with police to address the disruption.
Wuhan serves as the primary hub for Apollo Go operations, hosting over 1,000 completely autonomous vehicles. The metropolitan area has become a critical testing ground for Baidu’s self-driving vehicle strategy.
Baidu has yet to provide comments to media inquiries from Reuters or CNBC regarding the incident.
Previous Safety Incidents
This episode represents another chapter in the robotaxi sector’s growing list of safety concerns. Last August, an Apollo Go vehicle with a passenger inside descended into a construction excavation in Chongqing. Two months earlier in May, a Pony.ai autonomous car ignited while driving in Beijing. Both situations concluded without casualties.
On American soil, a power failure in San Francisco during late last year caused Waymo’s autonomous fleet to freeze, creating nearly identical traffic disruption.
The Wuhan malfunction rapidly became a trending topic on Chinese social platforms, with commenters expressing skepticism about the readiness of autonomous technology for widespread commercial use.
Apollo Go’s Worldwide Operations
Notwithstanding Tuesday’s incident, Apollo Go continues aggressive global expansion. Baidu’s Q4 2025 financial report disclosed 3.4 million fully autonomous rides completed during the quarter, with weekly trip volumes exceeding 300,000 during high-demand periods.
The platform has extended operations to 26 international metropolitan areas for either full deployment or trial programs. Throughout the Middle East, fully autonomous services launched in Abu Dhabi, while recent operations commenced through the Uber platform in Dubai.
Apollo Go maintains collaborative agreements with Uber and Lyft for pilot programs in London. Uber has not yet addressed inquiries about potential impacts on its Dubai operations stemming from the Wuhan malfunction.
Chinese insurance regulatory bodies are reportedly completing frameworks for autonomous vehicle insurance policies, according to Monday reporting from Yicai Global. The Wuhan breakdown could potentially expedite regulatory action.
Investigations into the system failure’s root cause continue.
