Apollo Go, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, partnered with Freenow, Lyft’s European mobility arm, to launch public road testing of self-driving taxis in London, UK on July 28, with commercial autonomous ride services scheduled to launch for local residents in 2027. This represents a major milestone for Apollo Go’s global expansion into right-hand-drive, left-traffic markets and marks the entry of Chinese autonomous driving technology into a core European metropolis.

Shortly prior to the London launch, Apollo Go initiated fully unmanned road tests with right-hand-drive vehicles in Hong Kong, China, demonstrating an accelerated pace of global market expansion. The UK presents unique operational challenges as a classic right-hand-drive market, with traffic regulations and road infrastructure vastly different from mainland China. London’s intricate network of narrow streets, dense roundabouts and mixed traffic including cyclists poses rigorous real-world testing conditions for cross-border autonomous driving adaptation. The London trials serve as a full-scale field validation of Chinese autonomous driving technology amid complex European traffic environments.