Uber, Lyft Partner with Baidu to Introduce Robotaxis in the U.K.

In Focus

• The partnership will bring Apollo Go self-driving vehicles to London
• Uber and Lyft will start testing Baidu’s vehicles in 2026
• The U.K. robotaxi trials will help expand Baidu’s global footprint

U.S. ride-hailing firms Uber and Lyft are teaming up with Chinese tech company Baidu, to introduce robotaxis in London starting in 2026. According to CNBC, the Uber Lyft robotaxi U.K. partnership paves the way for Baidu to introduce its Apollo Go autonomous vehicles to the British capital via the two platforms.

Uber and Lyft Confirm Partnership with Baidu

Both Uber and Lyft confirmed the partnership with Baidu and upcoming autonomous taxi tests in the U.K. on social media. The ride-hailing platform expressed excitement in strengthening Britain’s role in future transport.

“We’re teaming up with Baidu’s Apollo Go to pilot autonomous vehicles in London! Testing is expected to start in the first half of 2026,” Uber stated in a social media post.

Lyft will also start testing Baidu fleets in 2026 as it awaits regulatory approval. The ride-hailing platform said it is working with regulators and local communities to grow the rideshare market.

“We expect to start testing our initial fleet with dozens of vehicles next year, pending regulatory approval, with plans to scale to hundreds,” Lyft CEO David Risher said in a post on the X platform.

Lyft partnered with Uber and Baidu to run robotaxi trials in London, months after the platform collaborated with Waymo to provide autonomous rides in Nashville, Tennessee. The partnership was the first commercial deployment of Waymo robotaxis on the Lyft ride-hailing network.

Why Uber, Lyft, and Baidu are Targeting London

Britain has attracted driverless taxi firms following the government committed to accelerate autonomous vehicle technology on public roads in June 2025. Alphabet-backed self-driving robotaxi firm Waymo plans to introduce robotaxis in London in 2026.

Waymo already operates or is preparing to test self-driving vehicles in 26 locations, including large cities like Tokyo and New York City. The U.K. government will approve small trial programs for robotaxi firms in spring 2026.
Baidu is expected to be among the first companies to run such trials. London has an ambitious goal called Vision Zero, which focuses on eliminating serious injuries and deaths from its transport system by 2041. Autonomous driving technology is expected to contribute to this goal.

Partnership Expands Baidu’s Global Reach

Baidu operates in 22 cities and completes over 250,000 trips each week. The U.K. Uber and Lyft robotaxi trials will help expand the Chinese autonomous driving company’s global footprint. Baidu faces competition from Waymo and Chinese autonomous firms like WeRide and Pony.ai.

Already, Pony.ai is seeking to shape robotaxi services in Europe through a strategic partnership with vehicle manufacturer, Stellantis. The two companies planned to deploy test vehicles in Luxembourg and gradually roll out across European cities at the beginning of 2026. Baidu has been pushing to expand in the U.S. and other markets like the UAE and Switzerland.