China’s Baidu Follows Google With Autonomous Car Plan

Baidu, China’s largest search engine, is working on a highly autonomous smart car that aims to forever change the way people drive, a move that’s drawn comparisons to Google’s self-driving car project.

Unlike Google, Baidu said it’s developing a car that will assist, not replace, drivers, reported the International Business Times. Baidu’s smart car is expected to have a steering wheel, gas and brake pedals. The first smart car prototypes will be produced in 2015, reported The Next Web.

Baidu’s aim is to produce a smart car that improves safety and the efficiency of traveling through big cities plagued by traffic, reported The Next Web.

Meanwhile, Google has spent the past five years working on a self-driving car that uses software and sensors to steer and navigate traffic. The vehicle is still in test mode.

Baidu is also reportedly working on a self-driving bike designed to help riders navigate crowded streets in Shanghai or Beijing, two Chinese hubs of business, industry and pollution.