Chinese internet search giant Baidu is partnering with US ride-hailing firm Lyft to launch robotaxis in Europe, marking the latest initiative by a Chinese company to expand its autonomous-driving technologies globally.
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Under the partnership, the companies plan to introduce autonomous vehicles in Germany and the UK as early as 2026, pending approval from local regulators, according to a joint announcement by Beijing-based Baidu and San Francisco-based Lyft on Monday.
The companies said they expected to roll out thousands of robotaxis across Europe in the coming years.
Baidu last month also secured a deal with ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies to deploy thousands of Baidu Apollo Go robotaxis in markets outside the US and mainland China.
The deals are part of a broader trend among Chinese autonomous-driving companies to bring their services to international markets, especially as US electric-vehicle maker Tesla ramps up its robotaxi initiatives. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced plans to launch robotaxi services in Chicago, following trials in Austin, Texas.
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