Baidu Launches Robotaxi Trials in Switzerland This December

BEIJING — Chinese tech giant Baidu is making strides in Europe by announcing that its Apollo Go robotaxi division will kick off test drives in Switzerland starting this December, collaborating with PostBus, the country's public transport service.

This venture signifies Baidu's inaugural testing on European roads, aligning with its strategy to broaden its self-driving vehicle presence globally. The companies aim to introduce a fully driverless taxi service named “AmiGo” by early 2027, utilizing Apollo Go’s cutting-edge RT6 electric vehicles.

Once operational, the “AmiGo” fleet is projected to feature vehicles that don’t require steering wheels, representing a significant advancement in both autonomous vehicle engineering and trust in AI-driven transport solutions.

This initiative in Europe follows Baidu's recent international partnerships. In August, it announced a collaboration with Lyft to roll out robotaxi services in the U.K. and Germany by 2026. Earlier, a partnership with Uber was established to extend Apollo Go rides to global markets beyond the U.S. and mainland China.

The competition within the robotaxi sector is intensifying. Fellow Chinese company Pony.ai has partnered with Stellantis to begin similar trials in Luxembourg, while Waymo, part of Alphabet, is gearing up for trials in London next year. At the same time, Uber is planning fully autonomous ride trials in the U.K. with startup Wayve by spring 2026.