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China’s Baidu partners with Lyft to launch robotaxis in UK and Germany as soon as 2026

The deal is part of a broader trend among Chinese autonomous-driving companies to bring their services to international markets

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Baidu and Lyft say they expect to roll out thousands of robotaxis across Europe in the coming years. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Ben Jiangin Beijing
Chinese internet search giant Baidu is partnering with US ride-hailing firm Lyft to launch robotaxis in Europe, marking the latest initiative by a Chinese company to expand its autonomous-driving technologies globally.

Under the partnership, the companies plan to introduce autonomous vehicles in Germany and the UK as early as 2026, pending approval from local regulators, according to a joint announcement by Beijing-based Baidu and San Francisco-based Lyft on Monday.

The companies said they expected to roll out thousands of robotaxis across Europe in the coming years.

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Baidu last month also secured a deal with ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies to deploy thousands of Baidu Apollo Go robotaxis in markets outside the US and mainland China.
Baidu robotaxis. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Baidu robotaxis. Photo: Shutterstock Images

The deals are part of a broader trend among Chinese autonomous-driving companies to bring their services to international markets, especially as US electric-vehicle maker Tesla ramps up its robotaxi initiatives. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced plans to launch robotaxi services in Chicago, following trials in Austin, Texas.

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