Dozens of Baidu Apollo robotaxis abruptly stopped in Wuhan traffic on Tuesday evening, stranding passengers and blocking vehicles. The incident, described by authorities as a "system failure," affected the extensive Apollo Go program in one of China's largest self-driving experiments. Police received multiple reports of autonomous vehicles halting without warning in active traffic lanes.

This setback follows Waymo's similar incident in San Francisco last December, when a power failure caused robotaxis to pull over. Chinese regulators have already tightened oversight after a fatal crash involving a Xiaomi SU7 that killed three university students. The government pulled back plans for widespread autonomous vehicle sales following that accident, where the car disengaged from self-driving mode just one second before impact.

Baidu has hundreds of robotaxis operating in Wuhan, where they've become commonplace. The timing proves particularly awkward as Beijing prepares for its auto show in three weeks, where Chinese and foreign manufacturers plan to showcase their latest electric vehicles and autonomous technologies. The incident highlights the persistent technical challenges facing the industry, even as companies like Baidu, Waymo, and Tesla invest billions in self-driving systems that promise to transform transportation.