Baidu has begun testing its Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis on London's streets in partnership with Lyft and Freenow, marking a step towards the firms' goal of deploying thousands of autonomous vehicles across Europe. The trials, initially conducted with test drivers on board, will see Lyft and Freenow handle passenger bookings from next year, with the service eventually branded Freenow by Lyft. This puts Baidu and Lyft alongside a growing field of competitors, including Waymo and Uber's partner Wayve, all racing to establish autonomous ride-hailing in the UK capital.

The tests are running with dozens of Apollo Go RT6 vehicles in the Brent borough of London, and will eventually integrate with Freenow's existing taxi and private hire network, which Lyft acquired last year to accelerate its European expansion. Public ride reservations are expected sometime in 2027, though the exact timeline hinges on regulatory approval from Transport for London and the UK government, which is currently drafting autonomous vehicle rules and has launched its own robotaxi pilot programme.