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Ford, Baidu Partner on Self-Driving-Car Tests

Ford Motor Co. and Baidu Inc. plan to begin testing self-driving vehicles in China by year-end.

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Ford Motor Co. and Baidu Inc. plan to begin testing self-driving vehicles in China by year-end.

Under the two-year program, the partners initially will evaluate autonomous vehicles on designated roads in Beijing. Other cities could be added later.

The test vehicles will be equipped with Baidu’s Apollo Virtual Driver System platform. By the end of the program, the vehicles will have Level 4 autonomous vehicle operating capability, according to the partners.

Earlier this year, Ford and Baidu agreed to collaborate on connected cars, artificial intelligence and digital marketing projects in China. Ford also is a founding member of the Apollo Committee, an advisory group for Baidu's Apollo autonomous driving open platform.

In July, Ford formed a subsidiary for its autonomous car operations called Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC. The carmaker plans to invest $3 billion into FAV over the next five years.

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