Lyft and Baidu put Chinese robotaxis on London streets

Signals Inbox·July 28, 2026·Autonomous Systems

Lyft and Baidu have started testing Apollo Go robotaxis on public roads in London. The bigger story is that Baidu is bringing a system with more than 22 million completed rides into the same city targeted by Waymo and Uber-backed Wayve, turning London into a direct test of Chinese, American, and British autonomy.

Q1What actually happened?

According to Baidu’s official announcement, Apollo Go and Freenow by Lyft have started testing the sixth-generation RT6 robotaxi in Brent, London. The cars currently have safety operators inside. The partners plan to begin offering rides to the public in 2027.

Q2Why does London matter so much?

London is a brutal autonomy test. Its roads are old, crowded, irregular, and full of buses, cyclists, pedestrians, narrow lanes, and strange junctions. A system that works in wide, carefully mapped zones may struggle here. Passing the London test would make it much easier for Baidu to argue that Apollo Go can travel beyond China.

Q3Is Baidu starting from zero?

Not even close. Apollo Go had completed more than 22 million public rides by April 2026. It delivered 3.2 million fully driverless rides during the first quarter alone, with weekly volume passing 350,000. London is not testing a small research project. It is testing whether a heavily used Chinese system can handle a Western city.

Q4Who is Baidu competing against?

Waymo plans to bring its own service to London, while British startup Wayve is preparing supervised passenger trials through Uber. That creates a rare direct comparison. Waymo uses a sensor-heavy system trained through huge amounts of mapped driving. Wayve pushes a more AI-first approach. Baidu arrives with large ride volume and a purpose-built vehicle designed for cheaper deployment.

Q5What does Lyft contribute?

Lyft owns Freenow, the European taxi app that will connect Baidu’s vehicles with local riders and transport operations. This is becoming the ride-hailing playbook: the app controls demand, payments, and customers, while an outside company supplies the autonomous driver. Lyft can enter robotaxis without spending years building its own driving system.

Q6So are driverless rides available now?

No. These are supervised road tests with safety operators, not an open driverless service. The important change is that the cars are now collecting real London experience rather than waiting in a presentation deck. The next test is public rides in 2027, followed by removing the safety operator if Baidu can satisfy British regulators.

Q7What is the real signal?

The robotaxi race is leaving protected home markets. Baidu now has to prove that its cheaper, high-volume Chinese system can survive London’s roads, rules, and public scrutiny. If it works, Waymo will face a credible global competitor and Lyft will gain a driverless network without owning the driver. If it fails, Baidu’s huge ride count may look more local than universal.