China suspends new autonomous vehicle licenses following Baidu robotaxi incident in Wuhan

Dozens of Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxis froze in traffic last month in Wuhan, prompting China to suspend new licenses for autonomous vehicles. The restrictions prevent companies from adding new driverless cars to their fleets, expanding into new cities, or starting new test projects.

The Wuhan incident alarmed authorities in Beijing, causing regulators to urge local governments to review the sector. Baidu's Wuhan operations remain on pause while local authorities investigate.

It is unclear when officials will start issuing new licenses again. This is at least the second time regulators have intervened after a Baidu-related incident.