Baidu's all-electric self-driving car is a modified Chery EQ
China's biggest tech company swaps gasoline for electricity.
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Baidu's plan to make self-driving cars a consumer reality by 2018 just changed gears, so to speak. According to Business Insider, the company has swapped out its modified BMW 3-series test vehicles for an all-electric car designed for the Chinese market: the Chery EQ. Unmodified, the diminutive EV can drive about 120 miles on a full charge. Baidu intends to use it to further test its driverless tech in China.
The Chery EQ isn't quite as small as Google's self-driving pod, but it's quite a bit smaller than Baidu's self-driving BMW. It costs a lot less, too: after cashing in government incentives, the Chery EQ can be had for 59.800 Yuan (about $9,000 in greenbacks). Don't expect to see the little car stateside, though -- if Baidu ever does bring its tech to the US market, it'll probably partner with a local automotive firm.