Lyft and Baidu to launch robot taxis in Germany and the UK - launching in 2026

Lyft is expanding beyond the US and teaming up with Chinese giant Baidu to launch autonomous ride services in Europe. According to an official statement from the companies, the first unmanned cars will hit the streets of Germany and the UK in 2026.

Here's What We Know

The technological basis of the project is Baidu's Apollo Go platform, which is already operating in China and has received international certification of the L4 autonomy level. Lyft, in turn, will be responsible for user interaction, booking and logistics through its own app.

Both companies are calling it "the European debut of commercially available robotaxis." The service will be limited in scale at first, but there are plans to expand to other European countries by 2027.

Entering the European market comes with a number of challenges: regulatory restrictions, cultural barriers and the need to gain user confidence in unmanned transport. But if the project proves successful, it will be one of the biggest shifts in the urban transport industry in the last decade.

Source: Lyft