What Just Happened
London just got another set of robotaxis on its streets. Lyft, the U.S. ride-hailing company, and Baidu, the Chinese tech giant, have started testing self-driving cars together in the city. The vehicles are Baidu's purpose-built Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis, using Lyft's platform through Freenow - the German taxi app Lyft bought last year.
For now, each car has a human safety operator inside. Lyft bought Freenow in 2025 for roughly $197 million. That move gave Lyft a foothold in Europe's ride-hailing market.
A Crowded Race for London's Streets
London is turning into a battleground for robotaxis. Lyft and Baidu are not the only ones trying to get there first.
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Owned by Alphabet, Waymo began trialing its autonomous vehicles with safety drivers in London as early as April 2026. Uber has also jumped in, partnering with a self-driving tech firm called Wayve to plan a robotaxi service in the city later this year.
So there are at least three well-funded groups racing to launch first. Lyft and Baidu are still early in the process, but they have a specific plan: use Freenow's existing network of human-driven taxis and layer autonomous cars on top.
Freenow by Lyft's chief executive, Thomas Zimmermann, remarked: "As a platform with deep roots in the taxi industry, our priority is ensuring that autonomous technology supports the professional drivers who keep London moving."
This testing phase marks an important step for both companies. Lyft, which entered the European market through its Freenow acquisition, hopes to leverage its existing driver network to ease the transition to autonomous vehicles. Baidu, meanwhile, brings years of experience from its Apollo program in China, where its robotaxis have already completed millions of miles.
Baidu's Apollo robotaxi program has logged millions of miles in Chinese cities, giving the company extensive real-world data. Its RT6 vehicle is designed specifically for autonomous driving without human controls. The London testing phase allows Baidu to adapt its technology to left-hand traffic and local road conditions. Meanwhile, Lyft's acquisition of Freenow gives it a ready-made platform with existing drivers and customers, a strategy that differs from Waymo's direct approach and could help smooth the transition for regulators and the public.
The London tests will allow them to gather data and refine the technology while adapting to local driving conditions. Waymo's earlier start and Uber's partnership with Wayve add competitive pressure, but Lyft and Baidu's hybrid model - using Freenow's established taxi network - could help gain regulatory and public acceptance by keeping human drivers employed.
What It Means for Your Money
The public will not be hailing these robotaxis until 2027 at the earliest. Lyft and Baidu still need approval from Transport for London and the UK government's Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. According to Freenow by Lyft, once the service receives approval, it will combine human-driven taxis and private-hire vehicles with autonomous vehicles in a mixed fleet.
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