Baidu Snags Autonomous Car Licenses, Bringing China Closer to Driverless Future

  • City also grants permits for Haylion and DeepBlue buses
  • Xingmin and DuoLun Technology soar by daily trading limit

A Baidu Inc. autonomous car.

Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

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The capital of central China’s Hubei province granted licenses for companies to test self-driving vehicles, boosting robocar-related stocks on hopes that autonomous driving is closer to becoming a reality in the country.

Internet giant Baidu Inc. got a license for five of its self-drive cars, while Shenzhen Haylion Technologies Co. and DeepBlue Technology Shanghai Co. will trial a bus each, said Hu Haojun, an official at Wuhan’s department of transport.