Ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft have independently announced partnerships with Chinese technology company Baidu to introduce autonomous robotaxi services in London. The initial testing phase is scheduled to commence in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approval. This move will see Baidu's Apollo Go RT6 electric vehicles, which are specifically designed for ride-sharing, deployed on London's streets.
These collaborations position London as a key battleground for the commercialization of autonomous vehicle technology, with the UK's supportive regulatory framework being a significant enabler. The services will join Alphabet's Waymo, which had previously announced its own plans to launch a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in the city in 2026. Both Uber and Lyft plan to integrate the autonomous vehicles into their existing networks, creating a hybrid system of human-driven and self-driving cars.