Uber, Lyft set to trial robotaxis in the UK in partnership with China's Baidu

Chinese tech elephantine Baidu has announced plans to bring robotaxis to London starting adjacent twelvemonth done its partnerships with Lyft and Uber, arsenic the UK emerges arsenic a increasing autonomous conveyance battleground.

The announced collaborations volition bring Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous vehicles to the British superior done the Uber and Lyft platforms, the companies said connected their respective societal media accounts. 

Lyft's investigating of Baidu's archetypal fleet of dozens of vehicles volition statesman successful 2026, pending regulatory approval, "with plans to standard to hundreds from there," Lyft CEO David Risher said successful a post connected societal media level X connected Monday.

Meanwhile, Uber said that its archetypal aviator is expected to commencement successful the archetypal fractional of 2026. "We're excited to accelerate Britain's enactment successful the aboriginal of mobility, bringing different harmless and reliable question enactment to Londoners adjacent year," the institution added.

The moves adhd to Baidu's increasing planetary footprint, which it says includes 22 cities and much than 250,000 play trips, arsenic it races against different Chinese players similar WeRide and Western giants similar Alphabet's Waymo. 

The UK, successful particular, has seen a question of involvement from driverless taxi companies, pursuing the government's announcement successful June that it would accelerate its plans to let autonomous conveyance tech connected nationalist roads. 

The government present aims to statesman permitting robotaxis to run successful small-scale pilots starting successful outpouring 2026, with Baidu apt aiming to beryllium amongst the first. 

The metropolis of London has besides established a "Vision Zero" goal to destruct each superior injuries and deaths successful its proscription systems by 2041, with autonomous driving exertion expected to play a ample role. 

News of Baidu pilots comes arsenic its rival Waymo besides looks to statesman testing successful London, with plans for a afloat work motorboat successful 2026. Waymo presently operates oregon plans to motorboat a work oregon trial its fleet successful 26 markets, including large cities similar Tokyo and New York City.

Baidu, for its part, has been aggressively expanding successful the U.S., with investigating rolling retired successful planetary markets similar the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland.