China’s Baidu to test robotaxis in Switzerland in race for Europe

Chinese tech company Baidu has made a significant announcement, revealing that its Apollo Go robotaxi division has formed a strategic partnership with PostBus in Switzerland. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment for Baidu as it prepares to test its autonomous vehicles on European roads.

The partnership between Baidu and PostBus aims to launch a fully driverless taxi service called “AmiGo” utilizing Apollo Go’s RT6 electric vehicles by the first quarter of 2027. The ultimate goal is to provide a public-facing robotaxi service that eliminates the need for steering wheels in the vehicles.

This development follows Baidu’s previous partnerships with Lyft and Uber to deploy robotaxis in the U.K., Germany, and other locations outside of the U.S. and China. The company has been making strides in the autonomous vehicle industry, with plans to expand its operations globally.

In a similar move, Chinese robotaxi operator Pony.ai has announced a collaboration with Stellantis to conduct tests in Luxembourg before expanding to other European cities. This expansion into Europe and the Middle East reflects the growing competition in the autonomous driving sector.

Not to be outdone, U.S.-based companies like Waymo and Uber are also making moves to launch self-driving taxi services in European cities. Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, has plans to test its autonomous vehicles in London before launching a full-fledged taxi service. Uber, in partnership with self-driving tech startup Wayve, is gearing up for trials of fully autonomous rides in the U.K. in the near future.

The race to dominate the autonomous vehicle market is heating up, with companies like Baidu, Pony.ai, Waymo, and Uber vying for a piece of the European market. As technology continues to evolve, the future of transportation looks increasingly automated and driverless.

With these developments in mind, it’s clear that the era of autonomous vehicles is quickly approaching, and companies like Baidu are at the forefront of this technological revolution. The strategic partnership with PostBus in Switzerland is just the beginning of what promises to be a transformative journey towards a fully autonomous transportation system.