(Yicai Global) Nov. 2 -- Swedish auto brand Volvo Cars will join hands with tech giant Baidu to develop autopilot taxis for the Chinese market. 

Chinese-owned Volvo Cars and Baidu have reached a strategic cooperation agreement on making L4 driverless vehicles, Baidu President Zhang Yaqin for the firm's intelligent driving group, and Volvo Cars President Hakan Samuelsson jointly announced at the Baidu World Conference yesterday. 

Baidu has also reached an agreement with local authorities to put up to 100 driverless taxis into trial operation in Changsha, the provincial capital of China's southern Hunan province, Yicai Global reported on Oct. 30. 

Baidu revealed a slew of ambitious tech visions at the conference. The Beijing-based tech firm launched an autonomous passenger vehicle named Hongqi, which it intends to start producing next year, and reach mass production in 2020. 

Baidu will also begin mass-producing various other car models based on its software platform Apollo in 2020. Moreover, Baidu's co-founder Li Yanhong unveiled a smart city plan called the Project ACE.

Volvo Cars begun its own driverless vehicle development program called Drive Me in 2013 and some 100 of such cars were tested in its headquarters in Gothenburg. The firm also teamed up with Uber to make unmanned cars for the latter as early as next year, but an the Californian ride-hailer's autopilot accident that killed pedestrians in March has put those plans in jeopardy.

Editor: Emmi Laine