Newsletter N°80 - September 2025 

🚗 Mobility : Baidu and Lyft to Launch Robotaxis in Europe in 2026

Chinese tech giant Baidu and U.S. ride-hailing leader Lyft have announced a groundbreaking partnership to deploy Baidu’s Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis across Europe beginning in 2026, pending regulatory approval. This marks Baidu’s first entry into the European autonomous taxi market and Lyft’s first major expansion beyond North America through its $200 million acquisition of FreeNow, which operates in nine countries and over 180 cities.

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The initial rollout will target Germany and the United Kingdom, with plans to scale to thousands of vehicles across major European markets over the following years. Under the agreement, Lyft will manage the customer platform, fleet logistics, and regulatory engagement, while Baidu supplies the fully electric, purpose-built RT6 vehicles equipped with the Apollo Autonomous Driving Foundation Model (ADFM).

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Baidu’s Apollo Go service already operates over 1,000 robotaxis in 15 cities worldwide and has completed more than 11 million rides. The RT6’s omnimodal sensor suite, 10-layer safety redundancy, and integrated text–image–speech processing showcase Baidu’s deep AI and autonomous driving expertise. Lyft CEO David Risher emphasized a “hybrid network approach,” blending robotaxis with human drivers for seamless customer experiences.

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European regulators have accelerated their timeline, aiming for first paid robotaxi rides by spring 2026—paving the way for widespread commercial robotaxi services. This collaboration not only extends Baidu’s global footprint but also positions Lyft as a leading robotaxi platform in Europe, intensifying competition with Uber and homegrown AV initiatives.