Lyft and Baidu enter London’s robotaxi battleground as testing begins

Baidu has commenced autonomous vehicle testing in London through its strategic partnership with Lyft and its subsidiary, Freenow. This move marks a significant expansion for the Chinese tech giant into the European market using its purpose-built Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis. The initiative intensifies the competition in the UK capital, where major players like Waymo and Uber are also vying for dominance in the emerging robotaxi sector.

Baidu has officially launched autonomous vehicle testing in London's borough of Brent, deploying its Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis with human safety operators behind the wheel. This development follows a strategic partnership between Baidu and Lyft aimed at bringing Baidu’s self-driving technology to key European markets. The testing phase utilizes the platform of Freenow, a German multi-mobility app that Lyft acquired in 2025 for approximately $197 million to establish a firm foothold in the region's ride-hailing industry.

The London market is rapidly becoming a central hub for autonomous vehicle competition, with several well-funded firms racing to launch commercial services. Waymo began its own testing with safety drivers in April, while Uber and its partner Wayve have announced plans to debut a robotaxi service in London later this year. Baidu and Freenow by Lyft currently anticipate opening their robotaxi service to the public in 2027, though they noted that the specific timeline remains dependent on securing necessary regulatory approvals from UK authorities.

To facilitate a smooth rollout, Lyft and Freenow are maintaining active discussions with city and safety officials, including Transport for London (TfL) and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV). These efforts align with the UK government's broader initiative to establish comprehensive autonomous vehicle regulations and its recently opened AV pilot program. Freenow by Lyft CEO Thomas Zimmermann stated that the company intends to operate a hybrid network, integrating robotaxis alongside human-operated taxis and private-hire vehicles to ensure the technology supports existing professional drivers.