Lyft and Baidu enter London’s robotaxi battleground as testing begins
Chinese tech firm Baidu has begun testing autonomous robotaxis in London in partnership with Lyft and Freenow. The move marks a significant step in the competitive European ride-hailing market as companies race to secure regulatory approval for driverless operations.
Why it matters
London is becoming a central testing ground for global autonomous vehicle technology, signaling a shift in urban transportation infrastructure.
Chinese tech giant Baidu has started testing autonomous vehicles in London as part of its partnership with Lyft and Freenow, the German taxi and multi-mobility app that Lyft now owns. Baidu is the latest in a string of companies to test self-driving technology in the UK ahead of commercial robotaxi deployments.
The testing, which began Tuesday with human safety operators, comes nearly a year after the two companies struck a strategic partnership to deploy Baidu’s purpose-built Apollo Go RT6 robotaxi across key European markets through the Lyft platform. The vehicles will eventually be available through Freenow, which Lyft acquired in 2025 for about $197 million.
That deal gave Lyft a foothold in Europe’s ride-hailing market, where a handful of well-funded companies are now jockeying to be first to market with robotaxis.
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