Lyft partners with Baidu to deploy autonomous vehicles in Europe

Baidu and Lyft said the partnership will result in a major leap forward in autonomous mobility with European riders. | Source: Lyft

Baidu Inc. this week partnered with Lyft Inc. to deploy its Apollo Go autonomous vehicles across European markets through the Lyft platform. Initial deployments are planned for Germany and the U.K. in 2026, pending regulatory approval. The companies plan to scale the fleet to thousands of vehicles across Europe in the following years.

“Our partnership with Lyft to deploy Apollo Go in Europe, starting with Germany and the United Kingdom, is a significant milestone in our global journey,” stated Robin Li, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Baidu.

“This collaboration represents our commitment to making autonomous mobility accessible worldwide while working with local partners who understand their communities,” he added. “By integrating Baidu’s cutting-edge autonomous driving technology with Lyft’s platform reach and operational expertise, we’re excited to deliver safer, greener, and more efficient mobility solutions to more users.”

Founded in 2000 as a search engine business, Baidu said it offers a full artificial intelligence stack of four layers, including cloud infrastructure, the PaddlePaddle deep learning framework developed in house, its self-developed ERNIE foundation models, and AI applications. The Beijing-based company‘s mobility initiatives include the Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing services and Baidu Apollo’s self-driving systems, the Xiaodu smart devices powered by the DuerOS smart assistant, and AI chips.

Lyft and Baidu continue robotaxi deployments

Founded in 2012, Lyft offers rideshare, taxis, private hire vehicles, car sharing, bikes, and scooters across North America and Europe. The San Francisco-based company operates across 11 countries and in nearly 1,000 cities, and it supports bike sharing in 16 countries.

Lyft plans to deploy robotaxis in Germany and the U.K. next year. It will operate RT6 vehicles equipped with Baidu Apollo Go’s sensor suite, 10-layer safety redundancy architecture, and intelligent interaction design. Both companies said they will work closely with European regulators and stakeholders to ensure vehicles meet all necessary safety standards and regulatory requirements.

With a global footprint spanning 15 cities and cumulative rides surpassing 11 million, Apollo Go has deployed more than 1,000 autonomous vehicles (AVs) for ride-hailing services for the public. Founded in 2000, Baidu partnered with Uber earlier this year to deploy its Apollo Go AVs on the Uber platform across multiple global markets outside of the U.S. and mainland China.

Lyft also isn’t a stranger to the robotaxi space. In November 2024, it partnered with Mobileye to bring AVs to the Lyft network. Through this partnership, Lyft said it would scale rideshare platform available to all vehicles with Mobileye’s self-driving technology.

Partners to focus on 4 areas

The companies said the partnership focuses on four key areas to transform European mobility. The first is advanced AV technology deployment. Baidu said the Apollo Go’s purpose-built, fully-electric RT6 vehicles are designed from the ground up for rideshare operations. It leverages the Apollo ADFM (Autonomous Driving Foundation Model) and six generations of real-world testing.

When launched, RT6 rides will be available for riders directly through the Lyft ecosystem, offering enhanced safety features and consistent service quality, Baidu claimed.

Next, the companies said they plan to deploy AVs at scale in Europe. With operations covering more than 3,000 sq. km (1,158.3 sq. mi.) in Wuhan, China, alone, Apollo Go has demonstrated the ability to scale from test operations to full commercial deployment across major metropolitan areas. Baidu said this creates a strong foundation for European deployment.

The companies also plan to further develop their strategic partnership. Lyft said it will own the operational value chain and marketplace while Baidu provides vehicles, technology validation, and comprehensive technical support. Lyft said this approach builds on its strategy to be the platform and fleet manager of choice as fleet owners and technology providers scale autonomous operations.

Finally, the companies said they hope to achieve European market integration. Lyft will serve as Baidu’s first European rideshare partner, using its acquisition of FREENOW — which operates in nine European countries and over 180 cities — to accelerate AV deployment. FREENOW’s established presence in Germany and the U.K., combined with its deep relationships with local regulators and taxi operators, serves as a key enabler for deployment in these priority markets, Baidu said.