Baidu gets the green light to test self-driving cars on Google’s back yard
China's largest search engine just got permission to test their self-driving cars on Google's back yard Baidu announced this Thursday that it has received an autonomous vehicle testing permit from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, bringing the Chinese search giant one step closer to testing its self-driving cars on Google’s home turf.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Baidu gets the green light to test self-driving cars on Google’s back yard', 311 Institute, 2 September. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/baidu-gets-the-green-light-to-test-self-driving-cars-on-googles-home-turf/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
China's largest search engine just got permission to test their self-driving cars on Google's back yard
Baidu announced this Thursday that it has received an autonomous vehicle testing permit from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, bringing the Chinese search giant one step closer to testing its self-driving cars on Google’s home turf.
The permit follows hot on the heels of the company's announcement earlier this year that it would be creating a crack team of up to 100 engineers, based in Silicon Valley, to develop their autonomous vehicles. And now that that team is up and running and with the new permit in place Baidu can now begin testing its vehicles in real world conditions, something that will help it dramatically accelerate its plans to create a fully autonomous Level 5 vehicle.
“We will start testing our autonomous driving technologies on public roads very soon in California,” says Jing Wang, senior vice president of Baidu and general manager of Baidu’s Autonomous Driving Unit.
“Baidu has already built a strong team in Silicon Valley to develop autonomous driving technologies, and being able to do road tests will greatly accelerate our progress.”
Baidu is the latest in a long list of car makers and suppliers to receive autonomous vehicle testing permits in California with others including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Google, Delphi Automotive, Tesla Motors, Bosch, Nissan, GM Cruise LLC, BMW, Honda, Ford, Zoox, Inc., Drive.AI and Faraday Future.
While at first you might think it peculiar that California is letting a Chinese search giant loose on its streets it shows that the Californian authorities are serious about making sure that they remain at the forefront of the new revolution.
What this means for your organisation
Competition is global.
A Chinese giant now tests on the same roads as US rivals. The race for autonomy has no borders. Carmakers should benchmark against global, not just local, competitors.
Real roads speed learning.
Public testing gives far richer data than simulation. Permits are a competitive asset. Firms should secure testing rights in key markets early.
Open regulation attracts talent.
The state welcomes many firms to stay at the forefront. Clear rules draw investment. Policy makers elsewhere should weigh how their rules affect innovation.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Are we benchmarking against global autonomy rivals?
- Where should we secure testing rights for new technology?
- How do our local rules affect innovation in our sector?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
China's largest search engine just got permission to test their self-driving cars on Google's back yard Baidu announced this Thursday that it has received an autonomous vehicle testing permit from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, bringing the Chinese search giant one step closer to testing its self-driving cars on Google’s home turf.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- long list of car makers and suppliers dmv.ca.gov
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 2 September 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Baidu gets the green light to test self-driving cars on Google’s back yard. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/baidu-gets-the-green-light-to-test-self-driving-cars-on-googles-home-turf/
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