China has suspended issuing new licenses for Level 4 autonomous vehicles after
Dozens of Baidu Inc.’s Apollo Go robotaxis stalled in Wuhan last month,
stranding passengers and disrupting traffic, according to people familiar with
the matter. Regulators from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology,
Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Transportation held a meeting with
local officials and ordered self-reviews and stronger safety monitoring. The
suspension prevents companies from expanding fleets, launching new pilots or
entering new cities, with unclear timing. Apollo Go operations in Wuhan have
also been halted during an investigation. Shares of Pony.ai and WeRide Inc. fell
around 2%, while Baidu dropped up to 3.9% in Hong Kong trading.
