Self-driving cars once felt like science fiction. But they are now a real sight in places like the United States, China, and the United Arab Emirates. Soon, Europe might join that list. This is thanks to a new deal between Baidu, a Chinese tech giant, and Lyft, the ride-sharing company. This partnership aims to bring self-driving taxis to the European continent.
Lyft previously had a small presence in Europe. However, that changed when they bought the German ride-hailing company FreeNow. FreeNow operates in more than 150 cities across nine European countries. These include Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Interestingly, Lyft did stop its operations in Portugal in 2023. The company explained this decision was part of a cost-cutting effort and a new business plan.
Now, the American ride-hailing firm is going further into Europe by teaming up with Baidu. The Chinese tech giant plans to launch its robotaxis in Europe in 2026. This move shows Baidu’s big goal to expand its self-driving vehicles globally.
In a joint statement, the two companies said that robotaxis will first appear in the United Kingdom and Germany. The ultimate goal is to have “thousands” of these vehicles operating across Europe in the coming years. But there’s a key hurdle: this grand plan needs approval from regulators first. It’s also not yet clear if Lyft will offer Baidu’s robotaxi service through the existing FreeNow app or through a different platform.
Baidu’s Drive for Global Robotaxi Expansion
Baidu is serious about making self-driving cars common worldwide. In China, its own robotaxi service, Apollo Go, has been active since 2021. Users in major cities like Beijing can easily call a self-driving car using an app. To further its global reach, Baidu also recently partnered with Uber. This deal will bring Baidu’s robotaxis to Uber’s platform outside the United States and mainland China. The initial focus for this partnership is on the Middle East and Asia.
This new partnership is also important for Lyft. They need to stand out from other big names in the ride-hailing business, like Bolt and Uber. Uber, for instance, recently made its own move in the UK. This year, it joined forces with Wayve, a self-driving tech company, to start testing fully autonomous trips there by spring 2026. The race to dominate the future of transportation is clearly heating up, with Europe becoming the next big battleground.