The company, which used BlackBerry technology to build the operating system for its Apollo autonomous vehicles and maps, said the vehicles will be available at 600 pick-up and drop-off points on open roads within China’s inaugural demonstration zone. (The Logic)

Talking point: The move highlights how BlackBerry and Baidu are making progress on getting the vehicles on the road, and the companies have said they have grander plans to create an ecosystem for other car manufacturers. Although best known for its search engine, the Chinese internet giant has recently diversified into burgeoning technologies like autonomous-driving chips. BlackBerry has said it hopes to learn from Baidu’s artificial intelligence systems and smartphone integrations for vehicles, the latter of which was heavily featured in its promotion of its Apollo rollout. Rival Pony.ai will also reportedly operate self-driving cars in the 60-square-kilometre zone, which is about a 30-minute drive from Tiananmen Square. The leap forward in Beijing comes as U.S. companies like Cruise and Waymo enter more urban areas, as well.