TOP BIT
Drawback: No one left to complain to that “everything was better in the good old days”…
China’s tech giant Baidu and US mobility firm Lyft are teaming up to bring driverless taxis to Europe. A small fleet of robotaxis based on Baidu’s “Apollo Go” platform—already in daily use across China—will begin trials in a major European city in the coming months. Lyft will handle operations and customer interface, while Baidu supplies the vehicles and technical expertise.
The Details
🧠 Technology: Baidu’s “Apollo Go” platform has completed over 5 million driverless rides in China, using LiDAR, cameras, and AI for fully autonomous navigation.
🌍 Market Entry: The pilot city will be announced soon—insiders say Hamburg is top of the list.
🤝 Strategic Lever: Lyft provides Baidu with European market access and local infrastructure, plus the customer-facing layer.
📈 Growth Model: In China, Baidu plans to expand its robotaxi fleet from around 300 to over 1,000 vehicles, backed by in-house chips and software.
🛒 Consolidation: Lyft’s recent acquisition of European ride-hailing service Free Now complements this joint venture with Baidu.
Why It Matters
East-West Tech Alliance: A US company running a Chinese autonomous-driving system is a remarkable signal of cooperation in tense geopolitical times.
China’s Push into Europe: After Middle East and Asian forays with Uber, Baidu is now taking the next step into Europe.
Lyft’s European Bet: With Free Now and the Baidu partnership, Lyft is finally mounting a serious challenge to Uber overseas.
Background
Baidu’s robotaxi service “Apollo Go” ranks among the most advanced globally. It already operates in Beijing, Wuhan, and Shenzhen. Lyft, having pulled back from parts of the US market, has rebuilt its Europe strategy through Free Now.
Partnering with Baidu marks a turning point: China is emerging not only as a manufacturing base but as an exporter of autonomous-driving technology.
📊 All Data & Details: CNBC, Reuters, Spiegel
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