Baidu tests autonomous cars

Chinese internet search giant Baidu Inc obtained a license to test its self-driving cars on open roads in Beijing on Thursday, meaning a large-scale commercial use of such vehicles could cruise into people's lives faster than many have expected.

The company became the first enterprise to conduct road tests in designated zones in the capital. Five vehicles using Baidu's autonomous driving system Apollo underwent an open road test in Yizhuang, a southern suburb in Beijing.

The municipal government issued the country's first guideline for road tests of autonomous vehicles in December. To qualify for road testing, a vehicle must already have been test-driven for at least 5,000 kilometers in a closed environment and the backup drivers should have received no less than 50 hours of training, according to the Beijing Commission of Transportation.