Alibaba has invested in Hello, a Chinese ride-hailing firm backed by Ant Group, to expand into the robotaxi sector.

Hello said on September 17 that Alibaba’s investment will support joint work on AI algorithms and smart driving technology for commercial robotaxi fleets, but did not disclose the deal’s value.

The move comes as global tech companies, including Tesla and Alphabet’s Waymo, compete to commercialize driverless taxi services.

Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi service has reportedly completed over 11 million rides globally, while Chinese firms Pony.ai and WeRide are also growing their robotaxi operations.

Hello recently launched its own robotaxi, the Hello Robot1, increasing competition with domestic rivals.

The partnership will develop AI models for autonomous driving, including vision, voice, and “intelligent” cockpit systems.

Earlier this year, Hello started its robotaxi business with Ant Group and battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology, backed by 3 billion yuan (US$422 million).

🔗 Source: South China Morning Post

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