Uber, Lyft team up with Baidu to bring robotaxis to the UK
Uber and Lyft are each independently partnering with Chinese tech giant Baidu to launch Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis in the UK.
Uber's London pilot kicks off in the first half of 2026, aiming for full commercial service by year-end.
Lyft is also planning launches in the UK next year, pending regulatory green lights.
Why this partnership matters
Lyft's deal with Baidu targets European cities.
Uber has shifted from building its own self-driving cars to teaming up with global partners—CEO Dara Khosrowshahi plans for driverless rides in over 10 markets by late 2026.
The bigger robotaxi race
Baidu faces tough competition from Waymo, WeRide, and Pony AI—all racing to expand their robotaxi networks. Waymo just started testing in London too.
Meanwhile, Baidu already runs services in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Switzerland; Uber and WeRide have also launched there.
In Southeast Asia, Grab is working with WeRide and Momenta for its own autonomous fleet.