Baidu and Uber Join Forces to Accelerate Autonomous Vehicle Deployment

Rhea-AI Summary

Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) and Uber (NYSE: UBER) have announced a strategic multi-year partnership to deploy thousands of Apollo Go autonomous vehicles on Uber's platform across global markets, excluding the U.S. and mainland China.

Apollo Go, currently operating over 1,000 fully driverless vehicles across 15 cities including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has completed more than 11 million cumulative rides. The partnership will begin deployments in Asia and the Middle East in 2025, allowing Uber users to request rides in driverless Apollo Go vehicles for qualifying trips.

Positive

• Strategic partnership expands Baidu's autonomous vehicle presence globally
• Apollo Go has proven track record with over 11 million rides completed
• Access to Uber's extensive network will accelerate AV adoption
• Current operational fleet of over 1,000 vehicles demonstrates scalability

Negative

• Excludes key markets of U.S. and mainland China
• Implementation timeline and specific market details remain unclear

Insights

Autonomous Vehicle Industry Strategist

Baidu-Uber partnership expands Apollo Go's global reach, potentially accelerating AV adoption and creating new revenue streams for BIDU.

This strategic partnership represents a significant expansion opportunity for Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous vehicle fleet beyond its current operations. By leveraging Uber's massive global ridesharing network, Baidu gains immediate access to millions of potential customers across international markets without building its own consumer-facing platform from scratch.

The announcement reveals Apollo Go has already achieved considerable scale with over 1,000 fully driverless vehicles operating in 15 cities globally, including markets outside China like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. With 11 million cumulative rides already completed, Apollo Go has demonstrated both operational capability and consumer acceptance at scale.

For Baidu, this partnership creates a clear commercialization pathway for its autonomous driving technology investments. Rather than competing with established ridesharing platforms, this collaboration allows Baidu to focus on its technological competitive advantage while Uber handles rider acquisition and marketplace dynamics.

The planned deployments in Asia and Middle East markets later this year suggest regulatory pathways have been identified, with initial rollouts targeting regions already demonstrating receptiveness to autonomous vehicle testing. This incremental approach allows Baidu to expand methodically while managing regulatory and operational risks.

The deal's structure - excluding the U.S. and mainland China - acknowledges the complex competitive and regulatory environments in these markets, while still enabling substantial global expansion. For Baidu investors, this partnership creates a clearer path to monetization of the company's substantial autonomous driving investments, potentially accelerating the timeline to profitability for this business segment.

BEIJING and SAN FRANCISCO, July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) and Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) today announced a multi-year strategic partnership to deploy thousands of Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the Uber platform across multiple global markets outside of the U.S. and mainland China. This collaboration will focus on increasing the supply of affordable and reliable ridesharing options by bringing Baidu's advanced autonomous vehicles onto Uber's extensive network.

The first deployments are expected in Asia and the Middle East later this year. After launch, if a rider requests a qualifying Uber trip, they may be presented with the option to have their trip fulfilled by a fully driverless Apollo Go autonomous vehicle.

As the world's leading autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go deploys an operational fleet of over 1,000 fully driverless vehicles globally with its global footprint spanning 15 cities, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Backed by its advanced autonomous driving technology and robust safety record, Apollo Go is gaining strong momentum and accelerating its global expansion. As of May, the cumulative rides provided to the public by Apollo Go surpassed 11 million.

"We are committed to bringing the benefit of autonomous driving technology to more people in more markets, and this partnership with Uber represents a major milestone in deploying our technology on a global scale," said Robin Li, Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Baidu. "We look forward to working with Uber to deliver safe and efficient autonomous mobility solutions to riders around the world."

"This partnership brings together two of the world's most iconic technology companies to help shape the future of mobility," said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. "As the world's largest platform of its kind, spanning mobility, delivery, and freight, Uber is uniquely positioned to help AV leaders like Baidu bring their autonomous technology to the world."

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 Uber:
Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 61 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.

Media Contact:
Baidu
intlcomm@baidu.com

Uber
press@uber.com 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-and-uber-join-forces-to-accelerate-autonomous-vehicle-deployment-302505303.html

SOURCE Baidu, Inc.

FAQ

What is the partnership between Baidu and Uber for autonomous vehicles?

Baidu and Uber have formed a multi-year strategic partnership to deploy thousands of Apollo Go autonomous vehicles on Uber's platform across global markets, excluding the U.S. and mainland China.

How many autonomous vehicles does Baidu's Apollo Go currently operate?

Apollo Go currently operates a fleet of over 1,000 fully driverless vehicles across 15 cities globally, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

How many rides has Baidu's Apollo Go completed?

As of May 2025, Apollo Go has completed more than 11 million cumulative rides provided to the public.

When will Baidu's autonomous vehicles be available on Uber's platform?

The first deployments are expected to begin in Asia and the Middle East later in 2025.

Which markets will the Baidu-Uber autonomous vehicle partnership cover?

The partnership will cover multiple global markets, specifically excluding the United States and mainland China, with initial focus on Asia and the Middle East.