Baidu begins London Apollo Go road tests

• Baidu has started testing its sixth-generation RT6 autonomous vehicles in London through Apollo Go’s partnership with Freenow by Lyft.
• The vehicles are operating with safety personnel in mixed urban and suburban conditions across the borough of Brent.
• The partners plan to open the autonomous ride-hailing service to public passengers in 2027, subject to regulatory approval.

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) said its Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing platform has begun testing sixth-generation RT6 vehicles in London through a partnership with Freenow by Lyft.

The vehicles are being tested with safety operators on board across mixed urban and suburban road conditions in the London borough of Brent.

Baidu said Apollo Go and Freenow by Lyft aim to make the autonomous ride-hailing service available to public passengers in 2027, subject to receiving the required regulatory approvals.

The London programme follows Apollo Go receiving Hong Kong’s first permit for fully driverless Level 4 testing on public roads.

Apollo Go recorded 3.2 million fully driverless rides during the first quarter of 2026.

Baidu operates internet, artificial intelligence and autonomous mobility businesses, with Apollo Go serving as its commercial autonomous ride-hailing platform.

Apollo Go has completed 22 million cumulative rides, operates in 27 cities and has driven more than 330 million autonomous kilometres as Baidu expands the service internationally.