Image: Lyft
Lyft has announced a new partnership with Chinese tech giant Baidu to bring fully autonomous robotaxi rides to Europe, with initial launches planned for Germany and the United Kingdom in 2026 — pending regulatory approval.
As part of the deal, Baidu’s Apollo Go platform will supply its sixth-generation RT6 autonomous electric vehicles to Lyft’s network, marking a major step in Baidu’s global expansion and a key move for Lyft as it aims to become a major autonomous mobility platform in Europe. The two companies will work together to scale operations across the continent in the following years.
“Our partnership with Lyft to deploy Apollo Go in Europe, starting with Germany and the United Kingdom, is a significant milestone in our global journey,” said Baidu Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO Robin Li. “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.”
“Our partnership with Baidu is all about creating a great customer experience. 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,” said Lyft CEO David Risher.
Baidu’s Apollo Go is already the world’s largest autonomous ride-hailing service, with more than 11 million rides completed globally and over 1,000 AVs deployed across 15 cities in China. Notably, Baidu previously partnered with Tesla to improve Full Self-Driving (FSD) navigation in China earlier this year, although Tesla’s FSD is still awaiting regulatory approval in the country.
The partnership comes as Tesla continues to expand its own Robotaxi pilot in Austin, Texas, and recently began offering a human-supervised version in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, Tesla’s autonomous ambitions remain on hold in Europe, where its FSD software has yet to gain regulatory approval.
Lyft’s European push will be aided by its acquisition of FREENOW, which operates in over 180 cities across nine countries. This gives Lyft a strong foothold in key European markets and direct relationships with regulators — crucial for launching AVs at scale.
Lyft says its hybrid network approach will combine AVs and human drivers, with a focus on customer experience, safety, and sustainability. With AV launches still years away for most players in Europe, this partnership could position Lyft and Baidu at the forefront of the region’s autonomous future.
