In a world first, Baidu's Apollo Go who already run robotaxis, say they will expand into self-driving rental cars later this year.

…in a similar way as with conventional rental cars – which can be hired to transport people to “a range of destinations, including cultural landmarks and urban tourist attractions.”

Baidu, like everyone else, still hasn't got to true Level 5 self-driving. But it doesn't need Level 5 to be offering services like this. If you have mapped out the 100 most popular destinations in a city, and fixed routes between them, then level 4 self-driving like they have now, is all you need.

This isn't the same as a regular rental car you can drive anywhere, but many people would be happy with a car that covers a city's Top 100 spots. How does this differ from a taxi? Seemingly that you rent it for specified time slots, whether you're in the car driving or not.