strategic partnership making autonomous vehicles accessible in Europe

A strategic partnership was announced by Lyft, Inc. (NASDAQ: LYFT), one of the largest transportation networks in North America and Europe, and Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888), a leading artificial intelligence company with a solid Internet foundation [August 2025]. Lyft will use the Lyft platform to deploy Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles (AVs) in key European markets. This partnership solidifies Lyft’s position as Europe’s top AV platform and represents an evolutionary turning point in Baidu’s global expansion.

Pending regulatory permission, the first deployments are scheduled for Germany and the UK in 2026. In the next years, the fleet will grow to thousands of cars throughout Europe. The arrangement calls for Lyft to use Baidu Apollo Go’s sixth-generation cars as its area’s first autonomous solution.

“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,” said 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. 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.”

“Our partnership with Baidu is all about creating a great customer experience. Their extensive track record operating the world’s largest autonomous ride-hailing service means we can bring all the benefits of AVs — safety, reliability, and privacy — to millions of Europeans,” said David Risher, Lyft CEO. “It’s part of our hybrid network approach, where AVs and human drivers work together to provide customer-obsessed options for riders. And importantly, we’re committed to working hand-in-hand with local regulators to ensure we deploy these vehicles in their communities in a smart, thoughtful way that benefits everyone.”

Baidu’s Apollo Go contributes cutting-edge autonomous driving technology and proven operational experience to the collaboration. With a global presence in 15 cities and a total of over 11 million rides, Apollo Go now operates more than 1,000 AVs that offer the general public autonomous ride-hailing services. This partnership marks a significant advancement in providing European riders with stellar autonomous mobility.

Building Europe’s Leading Autonomous Network

Founded in 2012, Lyft has grown into a global mobility platform offering rideshare, taxis, private hire vehicles, car sharing, bikes, and scooters across North America and Europe. Lyft operates across 11 countries and in nearly 1,000 cities, and supports bikesharing in 16 countries.

Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under “BIDU” and HKEX under “9888.” It was founded in 2000.

The partnership focuses on four key areas to transform European mobility:

Implementation of Advanced AV Technology: Using the Apollo ADFM (Autonomous Driving Foundation Model) and six generations of real-world testing, Apollo Go’s specially designed, all-electric RT6 vehicles are constructed for ridesharing operations. With improved safety measures and reliable service, RT6 rides will be accessible to users directly through the Lyft ecosystem upon launch.

Operational Excellence and Proven Scale: Apollo Go has proven its ability to expand from test operations to full commercial deployment across major metropolitan areas, laying a solid platform for deployment in Europe with operations spanning over 3,000 square kilometres in Wuhan alone and over 11 million completed rides worldwide.

Strategic Partnership: Baidu offers cars, technological validation, and extensive technical assistance, while Lyft will control the marketplace and operational value chain. This strategy expands on Lyft’s plan to become the preferred platform and fleet management for fleet owners and tech companies as autonomous operations grow.

European Market Integration: By utilising the purchase of FREENOW, which operates in nine European nations and more than 180 cities, Lyft will become Baidu’s first European ridesharing partner, speeding up the implementation of AV. One of the main factors facilitating deployment in these priority markets is FREENOW’s well-established presence in Germany and the UK, together with their close ties to regional authorities and taxi companies.

Implementation and Next Steps

After receiving regulatory approval, Lyft plans to start deploying RT6 cars with Baidu Apollo Go’s industry-leading sensor suite, 10-layer safety redundancy architecture, and intelligent interaction design in Germany and the UK in 2026. Both businesses will collaborate closely with European stakeholders and regulators to guarantee that cars fulfil all applicable safety regulations.

Given Europe’s robust transportation system and growing demand for environmentally friendly transportation, the collaboration seeks to position Europe as a global leader in autonomous ride-hailing services and establish a new benchmark for efficient, sustainable, and safety-focused urban mobility.

Picture Source:Baidu Inc.