Lyft and Baidu begin robotaxi testing in London
Original: Lyft and Baidu enter London’s robotaxi battleground as testing begins
Why This Matters
London's robotaxi race intensifies as Baidu, Waymo, and Uber-Wayve all position for Europe's emerging AV market.
Baidu began testing autonomous vehicles in London on July 28, 2026, alongside Lyft and Freenow. Using the Apollo Go RT6 robotaxi with human safety operators, the companies plan to invite the public to hail robotaxis by 2027, pending regulatory approval from TfL and CCAV.
Chinese tech giant Baidu has started testing its purpose-built Apollo Go RT6 robotaxi on London streets as part of a strategic partnership with Lyft and Freenow — the European ride-hailing app Lyft acquired in 2025 for approximately $197 million. Testing began Tuesday with human safety operators and is currently confined to the London borough of Brent. The two companies first announced their partnership nearly a year ago, with the goal of deploying Baidu's autonomous vehicles across key European markets via the Lyft and Freenow platforms. A public launch is targeted for 2027, though the timeline depends on regulatory approval. The companies are in ongoing discussions with Transport for London (TfL) and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV). London is rapidly becoming a competitive hub for robotaxi deployment. Waymo began testing in the city in April 2026, and Uber along with its autonomous tech partner Wayve has announced plans for a London robotaxi service this year — initially with safety operators before moving to fully driverless operations. Freenow by Lyft said it will operate a hybrid network of human drivers alongside robotaxis. CEO Thomas Zimmermann stated: 'Our priority is ensuring that autonomous technology supports the professional drivers who keep London moving.' The UK government is actively developing AV regulations and opened applications in May for an AV pilot program under government oversight.