Lyft’s European expansion includes Chinese-made Robotaxis.
The US ride company announced on Monday that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Baidu to deploy the self-driving cars of Chinese tech giant Apollo GO in several European markets. The company hopes to launch Robotaxi services in Germany and the UK in 2026, withholding regulatory approval.
If approved, Baidu’s RT6 vehicle equipped with the Apollo GO autonomous driving system will be integrated into Lyft’s ride hailing app. Lyft CEO David Risher said the Robotaxi service is an example of “AVS and human drivers working together to provide riders with options that are engrossed in their customers.”
Lyft has historically focused on the US riding business, but rival Uber has expanded worldwide to other regions, including food delivery. But earlier this year, Lyft entered the European market when it agreed to acquire German multi-mobility app freeNow from BMW and Mercedes-Benz Mobility for around $197 million in cash.
The acquisition opened the European market to LYFT. Since its launch in 2012, LYFT has been operating only in the US and Canada.
Both Lyft and Uber have sunk their own internal self-driving car programs, but are taking part in a race to close out their partnerships with companies like Baidu, who have developed the technology.
Uber has partnered with over 18 companies, covering the spectrum of ways to apply autonomous driving systems to the physical world, including riding, delivery and trucking. This year alone, they announced contracts with Michigan Maymobility and Ann Arbor with Volkswagen, Chinese autonomous driving companies Momenta, Weride and Baidu. Last month, Uber invested hundreds of millions of dollars into EV maker Lucid and Autonomous Vehicle Technology Startup Nuro to launch its own premium Robotaxi service.
Lyft doesn’t have the same pace of deals as Uber, but it has formed several partnerships over the past year, including plans to add an autonomous shuttle created in the network by Austrian manufacturer Benteler Group in late 2026.
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