Baidu Apollo Go robotaxi trials in London

In late July 2026 Baidu began road testing its sixth‑generation Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis in the Brent district of London. The vehicles run with human safety operators and are deployed through a partnership with Lyft‑owned ride‑hailing platform Freenow. The trial follows a 2025 strategic agreement that aims to launch a public robotaxi service on Freenow by 2027, pending approval from UK regulators.

Baidu highlighted the deployment as a key step in expanding its autonomous‑driving network, which already operates in 27 cities and has logged more than 330 million autonomous kilometres. UK authorities are discussing whether oversight of the service should shift from the Department for Transport to Transport for London to better integrate autonomous taxis with the city’s existing transport framework.

Both companies continue dialogue with Transport for London and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles as they seek regulatory clearance and plan a wider rollout.