Giants in race to driverless future

Chinese Internet giants Baidu Inc and LeEco Holdings Co Ltd are squaring up at the start of what could become a classic race to develop the world's first commercial self-driving vehicle.

Just hours after LeEco, formerly LeTV Holdings Co Ltd, unveiled details of its car-making strategy, a Baidu executive said on Thursday it is set to test-drive the company's first driverless vehicle in the United States.

Beijing-based LeEco was the first to touch the throttle. It appointed Ni Kai, a former head of Baidu's auto-driving development team, to lead its auto project.