Lyft and China’s Baidu look to bring robotaxis to Europe next year

Lyft’s European expansion will include Chinese-made robotaxis.

The U.S. ride-hailing company announced Monday it has made a strategic partnership with Baidu to deploy the Chinese tech giant’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles across several European markets. The companies want to launch robotaxi services in Germany and the United Kingdom in 2026, pending regulatory approval.

If approved, Baidu’s RT6 vehicles, which are equipped with its Apollo Go self-driving system, will be integrated into Lyft’s ride-hailing app. Lyft CEO David Risher said the robotaxi service is an example of its “hybrid network approach, where AVs and human drivers work together to provide customer-obsessed options for riders.”

Lyft has historically centered its ride-hailing business on the United States, while rival Uber has expanded globally and into other areas, like food delivery. But earlier this year, Lyft bought its way into the European market when it agreed to acquire the German multi-mobility app FREENOW from BMW and Mercedes-Benz Mobility for about $197 million in cash. 

The acquisition opened up the European market to Lyft, which has only operated in the U.S. and Canada since it launched in 2012.

Lyft and Uber, both of which sunsetted their own internal autonomous vehicle programs, are in a race to lock up partnerships with companies like Baidu, which have developed the technology.

Uber has partnered with more than 18 companies, covering the spectrum of how self-driving systems can be applied to the physical world, including ride-hailing, delivery, and trucking. In this year alone, it has announced deals with Ann Arbor, Michigan-based May Mobility and Volkswagen, as well as Chinese self-driving firms Momenta, WeRide, and Baidu. Last month, Uber invested hundreds of millions of dollars into EV maker Lucid and autonomous vehicle technology startup Nuro in a bid to launch its own premium robotaxi service.

Lyft hasn’t had the same pace of deals as Uber, but has made a few partnerships in the past year, including a plan to add autonomous shuttles made by Austrian manufacturer Benteler Group to its network in late 2026. Lyft has also said it plans to put AVs from May Mobility on its network in Atlanta later this year.