Baidu Begins Testing Robotaxis in London with Lyft and Freenow Partnership
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Baidu has commenced testing its autonomous vehicles in London, collaborating with Lyft and Freenow. This initiative follows a strategic partnership established nearly a year ago to deploy Baidu's Apollo Go RT6 robotaxi across Europe via Lyft's platform. The testing, which started with human safety operators, marks a significant step towards commercial robotaxi services in the UK.
The move is crucial as London emerges as a competitive landscape for robotaxi services, with other companies like Waymo and Uber also testing autonomous vehicles in the city. Baidu and Freenow aim to have their robotaxis available for public use by 2027, contingent on regulatory approval. The UK government is actively developing regulations for autonomous vehicles, which will influence the timeline for these services.
As testing progresses, Baidu and Freenow are engaging with local authorities, including Transport for London, to ensure compliance and safety. The planned service will feature a hybrid network, integrating human drivers with robotaxis, emphasizing the importance of supporting professional drivers in the evolving transportation landscape.
Original report
Lyft and Baidu enter London’s robotaxi battleground as testing begins
TechCrunch · Kirsten KorosecThis briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
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