Could driverless taxis, some without even a steering wheel, soon be on European streets? On August 12, Baidu – the Chinese equivalent of Google – and US ride-sharing company Lyft announced their intention to roll out robotaxi services in Germany and the United Kingdom starting in 2026. These vehicles, classified as level 4 autonomous, are capable of operating without a driver or safety operator within a designated area and will be available through the Lyft app.

The two companies did not specify in which British and German cities the service would be operational, nor how long regulatory approvals might take. However, what is clear is that this initiative is an extension of Apollo Go, Baidu's robotaxi service already running in China. This European entry forms part of a broader global expansion: on July 15, Baidu announced a partnership with Uber to enter markets in Asia and the Middle East.

Globally, 16 urban fleets of driverless robotaxis – operating without safety operators – were in service in 2024: 12 in China and four in the US. Apollo Go is among the world's leading operators, with over five million rides and 100 million kilometers traveled, according to France Stratégie (a French government think tank), which published an analysis on robotaxis in May 2024. The analysis noted that by the end of 2023, Baidu operated more than 1,000 autonomous vehicles across four fleets in Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing and Wuhan. The company aims to reach 100 cities by 2030.

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