Lyft and Baidu Begin Testing Robotaxi Service in London
Baidu, the Chinese tech giant, has started testing autonomous vehicles in London as part of a partnership with Lyft and Freenow. The collaboration aims to deploy Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis across key European markets via the Lyft platform. This marks another step toward commercial deployment of self-driving taxis in Europe’s competitive market. Lyft acquired Freenow for $197 million in 2025, giving it a foothold in the region's ride-hailing industry. London is becoming a focal point as multiple companies race to launch robotaxi services ahead of regulatory approvals and public deployment. Waymo, Uber, and others are also testing autonomous vehicles there. Baidu and Freenow by Lyft plan to invite the public to use their robotaxis in 2027 after securing necessary regulatory clearances. The UK government is currently developing AV regulations and has opened a pilot program for companies interested in self-driving vehicle trials.
Topics: autonomous vehicles Baidu Freenow Lyft regulatory developments robotaxi testing