China’s Baidu to Deploy Its Self-Driving Taxis Globally Through Deals With Lyft, Uber

Experts warn of the security risks with the overseas deployment of the China-made electric robotaxis.

A taxi driver operating his car on a road alongside a self-driving robotaxi developed as part of tech giant Baidu's Apollo Go self-driving project, in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Aug. 2, 2024. Pedro PARDO/AFP

The “Google of China,” Baidu, and U.S. ride-hailing company Lyft announced on Aug. 4 that they have reached a deal to deploy self-driving taxis in Europe next year.

The plan, which is still pending regulatory approval, is to use Baidu’s electric RT6 robotaxis to operate on Lyft’s platform. The service will first launch in the UK and Germany.