Lyft and Baidu to Launch Robotaxi Service in Europe Next Year

U.S. ride-hailing company Lyft announced on Monday that it will collaborate with China’s Baidu to launch a robotaxi service across Europe beginning next year. The partnership marks Baidu’s first entry into the European autonomous vehicle market, expanding its global footprint in self-driving technology. The service will leverage Lyft’s existing ride-hailing infrastructure and Baidu’s advanced autonomous driving platform, Apollo, to offer driverless taxi rides in select European cities. The companies plan to roll out the service in phases, starting with pilot programs in major urban centers before scaling up. This move underscores the growing international competition in the autonomous transportation sector, as tech and mobility firms race to bring fully self-driving vehicles to public roads. Lyft emphasized that the partnership will combine its expertise in transportation networks with Baidu’s cutting-edge AI and robotics capabilities, aiming to deliver safe, reliable, and scalable autonomous rides. The collaboration also reflects broader trends of cross-border innovation in AI and mobility, as companies seek to accelerate the adoption of driverless technology beyond North America and Asia.