Autonomous Ride Service in Wuhan Experiences System-Wide Disruption, Passengers Stranded on Elevated Roads

On the evening of March 31, numerous internet users with IP addresses in Hubei reported that the autonomous ride-hailing service Apollo Go experienced a system-wide disruption in Wuhan. Multiple passengers stated they were stranded on elevated highways or major roads. Later that evening, Apollo Go customer service attributed the vehicle system malfunction to network issues.

One passenger, Mr. Lu, reported at around 10:40 PM that he was still inside an Apollo Go vehicle and had been trapped for nearly two hours. "The car stopped directly in the middle of the Third Ring Road, with large trucks speeding by on both sides. I was terrified," he said. The SOS function inside the vehicle was unresponsive, and calls made through the rear-seat screen were automatically disconnected. Mr. Lu eventually reached official customer service via a 400-number hotline and was told a specialist would be dispatched to assist him. However, after waiting for almost an hour with no help arriving, he contacted the police. Around 11:00 PM, traffic police and Apollo Go staff arrived, allowing him to safely leave the elevated highway.

Mr. Lu mentioned that customer service uniformly blamed network problems for the incident. Staff informed him that a dedicated representative would contact him within three days but did not mention any compensation for passengers.

Another passenger, Ms. Zhou, reported a similar experience. She entered an Apollo Go vehicle around 8:30 PM. Shortly after boarding, the car displayed a system error warning and advised against opening the doors. After driving for about ten minutes, the vehicle suddenly stopped on an elevated highway. Ms. Zhou was afraid to exit the car. She attempted to contact emergency services and customer service through the app but faced long wait times. Although customer service promised to send a specialist, no one arrived after an hour and a half. Fortunately, traffic police passing by assisted her in getting off the highway. Ms. Zhou noted that she was still charged for the ride, and customer service did not offer any compensation.

Many social media users reported similar incidents involving Apollo Go vehicles in Wuhan on the evening of March 31, citing issues such as unresponsive customer service and delayed assistance. When contacted, Apollo Go customer service stated that they could only investigate specific issues with a vehicle identification number and had no information about the widespread malfunction in Wuhan. As of the time of reporting, Apollo Go had not released an official statement.

The Wuhan traffic police department later issued a notice, stating that the incident was preliminarily determined to be caused by a system failure. No injuries were reported, and the cause is under further investigation.

Apollo Go, an autonomous ride-hailing platform under Baidu, has conducted over 240 million kilometers of global autonomous driving tests and operations as of October 2025, including more than 140 million kilometers of fully driverless travel. The service operates in 22 cities worldwide and has completed over 17 million rides. This is not the first time Apollo Go has experienced malfunctions. In July 2024, one of its vehicles stalled during evening rush hour, requiring police to contact customer service and move the car to the roadside. Apollo Go staff previously stated that such incidents would be addressed promptly upon receiving vehicle information and that vehicle technology is continuously being optimized.