Baidu and Lyft advance robotaxi plans for London ahead of 2027 launch

what happened

Baidu displayed its sixth-generation RT6 autonomous vehicle in London this week, as it prepares a driverless ride-hailing service in the city for 2027 with Lyft, Seeking Alpha reports. Since July, Baidu's robotaxi unit has tested the RT6 with Freenow by Lyft. Trials started in Brent in northwest London, and every test car carries a human safety operator, Lyft said.

Uber said the same day that its Apollo Go vehicles were also on London's public roads under a separate arrangement with Baidu. Baidu called it the first time a Chinese self-driving car has been tested in London traffic. The robotaxis will not replace the city's black cabs. Freenow instead plans a mixed network that includes taxis and private-hire cars. Baidu is the third firm testing robotaxis in London, following Waymo and the Uber-Wayve partnership.

why it matters

For Lyft and Uber, the London trials widen their push into autonomous ride-hailing in Europe, though a commercial launch is still years away. Investors may watch how these partnerships compete for riders, especially as Baidu already operates in Hong Kong, another left-hand-traffic market.

market impact

Lyft and Uber shares: new robotaxi partnerships add long-term competition in autonomous ride-hailing.

tags

instruments