Driverless taxis are getting ready to roll onto European streets next year. This big step comes from a new partnership between Lyft, a well-known ride-hailing company from the United States, and Baidu, a major technology company from China. It marks the first time Baidu will bring its robotaxi service, often called “robotaxis,” to Europe.
The first cities to see these driverless cars will be in Germany and the United Kingdom. Lyft and Baidu plan to use the RT6 robotaxi model. This model will run on Lyft’s own platform. The companies are currently waiting for approval from local regulators before they can begin service.
Their goal is to have thousands of robotaxis operating across Europe in the years to come. This expansion is made possible because Lyft recently bought FreeNow, a European automotive app. That acquisition was completed on July 31. This move gives Lyft a strong starting point in the European market.
Under this new agreement, Lyft will be in charge of the robotaxi platform. They will also handle customer service and the logistics of getting the cars where they need to be. Baidu, on the other hand, will provide the actual self-driving vehicles and all the technical know-how behind them.
This collaboration opens the door for Lyft to operate in nine different countries and more than 180 cities. It is Lyft’s first time expanding its operations outside of North America. Jeremy Bird, who is the Executive Vice President of Driver Experience at Lyft, pointed out that FreeNow already has strong and long-standing relationships with regulators in Europe. This will likely make the approval process smoother.