Lyft And Baidu To Launch Robotaxi Service In Europe

The American ridesharing company Lyft and the Chinese company Baidu announced on Monday a new partnership to launch a robot taxi service across Europe. The firms plan to deploy Baidu’s autonomous vehicles, Apollo Go, in 2026, beginning in Germany and the United Kingdom.

According to the press release, the initiative is still subject to regulatory approval. However, Lyft and Baidu expect to begin deploying Baidu Apollo Go’s sixth-generation vehicles next year, aiming to scale to “thousands” of vehicles in the following years.

“By integrating Baidu’s cutting-edge autonomous driving technology with Lyft’s platform reach and operational expertise, we’re excited to deliver safer, greener, and more efficient mobility solutions to more users,” said Robin Li, Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Baidu.

Apollo Go’s fully electric RT6 vehicles will be accessible to users through Lyft’s digital platform. The robotaxis will be powered by Baidu’s AI technology, the Autonomous Driving Foundation Model (ADFM), which has already been tested in Wuhan across more than 3,000 square kilometers and through over 11 million rides.

As explained in the press release, Baidu will provide the vehicles, and Lyft will manage market operations, technology validation, and technical support.

“Our partnership with Baidu is all about creating a great customer experience,” said David Risher, Lyft CEO. “Their extensive track record operating the world’s largest autonomous ride-hailing service means we can bring all the benefits of AVs — safety, reliability, and privacy — to millions of Europeans.”

Risher also noted that Lyft wants to implement a hybrid approach in which human drivers and AVs work together to provide the best options for the customers.

Lyft will also leverage its recent acquisition of FREENOW, a European taxi service operating across 180 cities in the region.

The robotaxi market continues to expand across the globe. Zoox recently launched its first “serial production facility” in the United States, Waymo recently began testing autonomous vehicles in Japan, and Tesla began to roll out robotaxi services in Texas.