Baidu's Apollo Go and Freenow by Lyft Begin Road Testing in London
Rhea-AI Summary
Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) announced that its autonomous ride-hailing platform Apollo Go, in partnership with Freenow by Lyft, has begun road testing sixth-generation RT6 autonomous vehicles in London’s borough of Brent, with safety operators on board in mixed urban and suburban conditions.
Apollo Go and Freenow by Lyft aim to open the service to public riders in 2027, subject to regulatory approvals. The London deployment follows Apollo Go receiving Hong Kong’s first fully driverless Level 4 public-road trial permit, and builds on a global footprint of 22 million cumulative rides, 3.2 million fully driverless rides in Q1 2026, operations in 27 cities, and over 330 million autonomous kilometers driven.
Positive
- London RT6 road testing launched with Freenow by Lyft in Brent
- Public launch targeted for 2027 in London, pending approvals
- 3.2 million fully driverless rides in Q1 2026, >120% YoY growth
- 22 million cumulative rides and operations across 27 cities
- 330 million autonomous km driven, including 220 million fully driverless
- First fully driverless Level 4 permit on public roads in Hong Kong
Negative
- London service remains in testing with on-board safety operators
- Public rider access in London depends on regulatory approvals for 2027 rollout
News Explained
Apollo Go has entered London testing, while public rider service remains a future, approval-dependent phase.
Baidu has commenced Apollo Go road testing in London with Freenow by Lyft, starting in Brent with safety operators; public riders are planned from
The arrangement assigns Apollo Go the RT6 vehicles and autonomous-driving technology, while Freenow by Lyft supplies local operational expertise; the vehicles will operate alongside existing taxis and private-hire vehicles as part of a hybrid network.
The release also says Apollo Go received Hong Kong’s first fully driverless trial permit on
News Market Reaction – BIDU
In the Jul 28 session, BIDU declined 0.35%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22 | Dual-listing update | Positive | -0.7% | Baidu updated plans for a Hong Kong dual-primary listing and related shareholder mandates. |
| Jul 16 | Dual-listing pursuit | Positive | +1.2% | Baidu announced board approval to pursue voluntary conversion to dual-primary listing status. |
| Jul 02 | Shareholder meeting notice | Neutral | -3.9% | Baidu set record dates for shareholders and ADS holders to vote at its meeting. |
| Jun 12 | European expansion | Positive | -0.3% | Apollo Go's Swiss partnership received a Level 4 permit for autonomous operations. |
| Jun 09 | CMC-list response | Negative | +1.7% | Baidu disputed its inclusion on the U.S. Department of Defense CMC List. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent news reactions showed more divergence than alignment with the announced catalysts.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
- Baidu's Apollo Go and Freenow by Lyft have commenced the testing of Apollo Go's sixth-gen autonomous vehicle (RT6) in
London . - Initial road testing with safety operators on board will take place in Brent, a borough in west and north-west
London . - Apollo Go and Freenow by Lyft plan to welcome public riders starting in 2027.
The deployment builds on the strategic partnership announced by Baidu and Lyft in 2025 for Lyft to deploy Apollo Go autonomous vehicles across key European markets through the Lyft platform. Under the partnership, Apollo Go provides the RT6 vehicles and autonomous driving technology, while Freenow by Lyft contributes its local operational expertise to ensure smooth testing and operation of the fleet.
The
"The arrival of Apollo Go vehicles in
Thomas Zimmermann, CEO of Freenow by Lyft, said: "As a platform with deep roots in the taxi industry, our priority is ensuring that autonomous technology supports the professional drivers who keep
The RT6 vehicles will operate as part of a hybrid network alongside Freenow's established taxi and private hire vehicles. For riders, this means faster pickup times as the number of vehicles on the platform increases. Research by Censuswide shows a strong appetite for autonomous vehicles among Londoners, with
The
*This research was commissioned by Freenow by Lyft in partnership with Censuswide in March 2026. The survey sampled 3,001 respondents.
About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu's mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under "BIDU" and HKEX under "9888." One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.
About Freenow by Lyft
Freenow by Lyft features broad multi-mobility options across 9 European markets and over 180 cities. Millions of passengers can access various mobility services within a single app, including taxis, private hire vehicles, carsharing, car rental, e-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds and public transport. With headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, Freenow is led by CEO Thomas Zimmermann.
In July 2025, Freenow was acquired by Lyft, a global mobility platform offering a mix of rideshare, taxis, private hire vehicles, executive chauffeur services, car sharing, bikes, and scooters across 6 continents and thousands of cities. Millions of drivers have chosen to earn on billions of rides. Together, Freenow and Lyft are helping to create a more connected world, with transportation options for everyone.
Media Contact: intlcomm@baidu.com
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SOURCE Baidu, Inc.