Baidu Apollo Go robotaxis in Wuhan stopped suddenly after system failure

In short: Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi service in Wuhan, China, suffered a system failure that caused many cars to stop in traffic and stranded some passengers.

What happened

On the evening of March 31, 2026, many Apollo Go robotaxis in Wuhan reportedly stopped suddenly and could not move. Reports said some cars halted in the middle of roads, including elevated highways, leaving passengers stuck inside for up to two hours.

Wuhan police confirmed they received multiple reports about the vehicles stopping unexpectedly. Police said there were no injuries.

Passengers described cars “freezing” in busy areas. One rider, identified as Mr. Lu, said his car stopped on the city’s Third Ring Road while large trucks passed nearby, and he waited nearly two hours before police and Apollo Go staff helped him exit. Social media posts from Hubei province described the incident as a “collective paralysis” starting around 9:00 PM local time, and some users said they had trouble reaching customer service.

Apollo Go reportedly blamed the problem on an “abnormal driving system” caused by network issues (a network is the connection that helps systems share data, like a phone losing signal). As of April 1, Baidu had not published an official statement, according to the report.

Why it matters

Robotaxis are meant to reduce the work of driving, but incidents like this show how a large, shared problem can leave many people stranded at once, especially in fast traffic. Baidu has said it runs more than 300 robotaxis in Wuhan and operates in 22 cities, with over 17 million rides completed by October 2025. The company has also faced earlier complaints in Wuhan about slow driving, sudden braking, traffic congestion, and a pedestrian collision.

Source: The Verge AI