Baidu Partners With Lyft To Deploy Robotaxis Across Europe

Baidu Inc. (BIDU) on Monday announced a partnership with Lyft Inc. (LYFT) to deploy its Apollo Go robotaxis across key European markets.

Baidu will leverage Lyft’s platform to deploy its robotaxis in the U.K. and Germany initially, starting in 2026. The two companies aim to expand this fleet to “thousands” of vehicles across Europe subsequently.

Baidu’s American Depository Receipts (ADR) and Lyft’s shares were both trading 3% higher in Monday’s pre-market session. Stocktwits data shows the retail sentiment around the BIDU ADR was in the ‘bearish’ territory, while investors were ‘bullish’ about the LYFT stock.

Baidu co-founder, CEO, and chairman, Robin Li, termed the Lyft partnership a significant milestone in the Chinese tech giant’s global ambitions.

“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,” Li said.

Baidu currently offers its autonomous taxi service in 15 cities, and cumulative rides have so far crossed 11 million. The company has deployed over 1,000 Apollo Go electric vehicles across its network.

When Apollo Go’s fully-electric RT6 vehicles start deploying in Europe, following regulatory approvals, Baidu says users can book rides directly through the Lyft ecosystem.

This follows Baidu’s partnership with Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) in July to deploy its robotaxis outside the U.S. and mainland China, with a focus primarily on Asia and the Middle East.

BIDU ADR has gained 2% year-to-date, while the LYFT stock is up nearly 6%.

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