A driverless car designed by Baidu is on the road. The company plans to commercialize its driverless car in three to five years. (File photo)
(ECNS) -- Baidu, China's largest search engine, said it plans to commercialize its driverless car in three to five years.
Sun Yunfeng, Baidu's Chief Product Architect, said the driverless car will first begin trials in closed zones. It will provide services in designated areas and follow fixed routes, similar to the electronic shuttles at industrial zones.
Baidu also plans to equip high-end cars with driving-assist devices.
Sun said in a talk with Uber's Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden that Baidu doesn't aim to produce Tesla-like cars on its own and that it positions itself as "one link in the auto chain."
Baidu tested its autonomous vehicle via a 30km loop in Beijing during December last year. It's reported that the company would also start testing autonomous cars in the United States.
Launched in 2013, the driverless car project is based on core "Baidu car brain" technology, which includes high-precision electronic mapping, positioning and decision-making systems.
Wang Jin, a senior vice president of Baidu, said the company has invested tens of billions of yuan in the project, which is its largest to date.
IT companies such as Google and Apple are working with auto manufacturers including Toyota and Tesla to develop their own driverless cars.
