Baidu and Lyft Are Set to Debut Robotaxi Operations Across Europe by 2026
Chinese tech giant Baidu and U.S. ride-hailing company Lyft have joined forces to bring autonomous robotaxis to Europe. The partnership, which aims to operate thousands of driverless vehicles across the continent, is expected to begin with the deployment of Baidu's Apollo Go RT6 autonomous vehicles in Germany and the United Kingdom in 2026, pending regulatory approval.
The RT6 Autonomous Vehicle
The RT6 is a purpose-built, fully electric autonomous vehicle equipped with Baidu's latest Apollo Autonomous Driving Foundation Model (ADFM). This model features multi-layer safety architecture and real-time intelligent interaction systems, making it ideal for autonomous ride-hailing.
Scaling the Fleet
The initial launch in 2026 will begin with several units in Germany and the UK. Over time, the companies plan to scale the fleet to thousands of vehicles across Europe, leveraging Lyft's recent acquisition of FREENOW, which covers nine countries and over 180 cities.
Operational Roles
In this partnership, Lyft will integrate these vehicles into its ride-hailing platform, managing the marketplace and operational logistics. Baidu, on the other hand, will supply the vehicles and provide technical validation and support.
Regulatory and Safety Considerations
Both parties emphasize collaboration with European regulators to ensure compliance with local safety and operational standards before and during rollout. The safety systems of the Apollo RT6 robotaxi include a ten-layer redundancy architecture.
Background
Baidu has been operating its Apollo Go robotaxi service in China since 2021, logging over 11 million autonomous rides in 15 cities across the country, including major hubs like Beijing and Wuhan. The company has also recently announced a similar partnership with Uber, targeting markets in the Middle East and Asia.
In summary, starting in 2026, Lyft will launch Baidu’s fully electric RT6 AV fleet in Germany and the UK, aiming to build a significant autonomous ride-hailing presence across Europe in the coming years, subject to regulatory approvals. The partnership combines Lyft’s operational expertise and market reach with Baidu’s cutting-edge autonomous driving technology.
The RT6 Autonomous Vehicle, equipped with Baidu's Apollo Autonomous Driving Foundation Model, is ideal for autonomous ride-hailing due to its multi-layer safety architecture and real-time intelligent interaction systems.
Lyft aims to scale the RT6 fleet across Europe, leveraging its recent acquisition of FREENOW to deploy vehicles in over 180 cities across nine countries.
In the partnership, Lyft takes on the responsibility of integrating these vehicles into its ride-hailing platform and managing operational logistics, while Baidu supplies the vehicles and provides technical validation and support. Both parties emphasize collaboration with European regulators to ensure compliance with local safety and operational standards.
