Baidu and Freenow by Lyft Begin Autonomous Vehicle Testing in London

Testing of Baidu’s sixth-generation Apollo Go autonomous vehicle has officially commenced on the streets of London. Operating initially in the borough of Brent with safety drivers on board, the project marks a significant step toward the companies’ goal of opening driverless ride-hailing services to the public by 2027.

Money Talk·July 28, 2026·reads: 2,511

Baidu and Freenow by Lyft Begin Autonomous Vehicle Testing in London

The deployment of the RT6 vehicle in London leverages the strategic partnership between Baidu and Freenow by Lyft, combining Baidu’s autonomous driving software with the local operational infrastructure of the Freenow platform. This move follows a successful expansion into Hong Kong, where Apollo Go recently secured the first fully driverless trial permit for a right-hand-drive market, demonstrating the technology's capability in complex urban environments.

Nan Yang, Vice President of Baidu, characterized the London testing as a critical milestone for the company’s global expansion, noting that the city’s dense traffic provides a rigorous validation for the fleet's maturity. Thomas Zimmermann, CEO of Freenow by Lyft, emphasized that the autonomous vehicles will operate within a hybrid network alongside existing taxi and private hire services, aiming to bolster mobility options rather than displace professional drivers.

Public interest appears aligned with these goals; data from a Censuswide survey commissioned by the partners indicates that 58% of Londoners are open to trying autonomous transport. With Apollo Go having logged over 330 million autonomous kilometers globally and completed 3.2 million driverless rides in the first quarter of 2026 alone, the program enters the UK market with a substantial track record of operational growth.