Lyft’s European expansion will include Chinese-made robotaxis.

The U.S. ride-hailing company announced Monday it has made a strategic partnership with Baidu to deploy the Chinese tech giant’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles across several European markets. The companies want to launch robotaxi services in Germany and the United Kingdom in 2026, pending regulatory approval.

If approved, Baidu’s RT6 vehicles, which are equipped with its Apollo Go self-driving system, will be integrated into Lyft’s ride-hailing app. Lyft CEO David Risher said the robotaxi service is an example of its “hybrid network approach, where AVs and human drivers work together to provide customer-obsessed options for riders.”

Lyft has historically centered its ride-hailing business on the United States, while rival Uber has expanded globally and into other areas, like food delivery. But earlier this year, Lyft bought its way into the European market when it agreed to acquire the German multi-mobility app FREENOW from BMW and Mercedes-Benz Mobility for about $197 million in cash. 

The acquisition opened the European market to Lyft, which has only operated in the U.S. and Canada since it launched in 2012.

Lyft and Uber, both of which sunsetted their own internal autonomous vehicle programs, are in a race to lock up partnerships with companies like Baidu, which have developed the technology.

Uber has partnered with more than 18 companies, covering the spectrum of how self-driving systems can be applied to the physical world, including ride-hailing, delivery, and trucking. In this year alone, it has announced deals with Ann Arbor, Michigan-based May Mobility and Volkswagen, as well as Chinese self-driving firms Momenta, WeRide, and Baidu. Last month, Uber invested hundreds of millions of dollars into EV maker Lucid and autonomous vehicle technology startup Nuro in a bid to launch its own premium robotaxi service.

Lyft hasn’t had the same pace of deals as Uber, but has made a few partnerships in the past year, including a plan to add autonomous shuttles made by Austrian manufacturer Benteler Group to its network in late 2026. Lyft has also said it plans to put AVs from May Mobility on its network in Atlanta later this year.

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Joby Aviation Inc said it plans to buy the helicopter ride-share business of Blade Air Mobility Inc. for as much as $125 million in stock or cash as the electric aviation pioneer seeks to expand its battery-powered air taxis into a ready-made market for its aircraft.

The acquisition encompasses all of Blade’s passenger business, including operations in the U.S. and Europe, as well as the Blade brand, Joby said in a statement, confirming an earlier report by Bloomberg. Blade’s medical division will remain a public company and rebrand, while partnering with Joby on medical transportation.

JJoby shares advanced as much as 18% on Aug. 4 to a record in New York. Blade surged 31%, raising its market value to nearly $400 million. The transaction is expected to close in coming weeks, Joby said.

Blade sells per-seat helicopter trips from New York City to nearby airports and resort towns. The company, which went public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company in 2021, hasn’t reported an annual a profit since it listed. The company’s shares have fallen 10% this year, giving it a market value of $309 million.

🚨We’ve been working on something big: today, we announced a definitive agreement to acquire @flybladenow‘s urban air mobility passenger business. Our team is about to get stronger. 🚁+ ✈️ = 💪 https://t.co/DGxyoA76vU

More details in the thread. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/twrUBIqeNf

— Joby Aviation (@jobyaviation) August 4, 2025

Backed by Toyota Motor Corp., Joby expects to have five aircraft in one of the final phases of certification next year as it aims to start commercial flights in early 2026. The $13.6 billion company announced plans last month to double production capacity at its plant in Marina, Calif., to manufacture up to 24 aircraft a year.

According to Joby, Blade flew more than 50,000 passengers in 2024 from a network of 12 urban terminals. Joby, which plans to carry its first passengers in Dubai next year, said the purchase will allow it to speed its commercial efforts by using Blade’s existing infrastructure and customer base.

Written by Siddharth Philip and Ed Ludlow

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On August 4, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing arm Apollo Go announced a strategic partnership with global mobility leader Lyft to launch driverless ride services in Europe via the Lyft platform.

The rollout will begin in 2026 with Apollo Go’s sixth-generation fully autonomous vehicles, namely RT6, operating in Germany and the UK, with plans to scale the fleet to several thousand units across Europe.

The vehicles will be equipped with Baidu’s industry-leading sensor suite, 10-layer safety redundancy system, and advanced human–machine interaction design.

Photo credit: Apollo Go

Lyft CEO David Risher said Baidu’s position as the world’s largest autonomous ride-hailing platform, coupled with its deep operational experience, would enable the companies to deliver safe, reliable, and privacy-focused autonomous mobility to millions of European riders.

Baidu founder Robin Li called the partnership a significant milestone in Apollo Go’s global expansion strategy, noting that the collaboration would combine Baidu’s autonomous driving technology with Lyft’s operational expertise to deliver safer, greener, and more efficient transport to European users.

The partnership will center on four pillars to accelerate Europe’s transition to autonomous mobility:

Advanced technology deployment – Apollo Go’s purpose-built, all-electric RT6 Robotaxis are designed specifically for ride-hailing, powered by Baidu’s Apollo Autonomous Driving Foundation Model (ADFM) and six generations of real-world testing. The RT6 will be bookable directly through Lyft’s platform.

Proven operational scale –With service coverage spanning more than 3,000 square kilometers in Wuhan and a track record of over 11 million rides worldwide, Apollo Go has shown it can successfully transition from pilot programs to full-scale commercial operations in major cities—a capability that provides a solid springboard for its European launch.

Strategic market entry – Lyft will oversee operations and marketplace management, while Baidu supplies the vehicles, validates the technology, and provides comprehensive technical support.

Local integration – Lyft will leverage its acquisition of European ride-hailing firm FREENOW , active in nine countries and over 180 cities, to accelerate autonomous vehicle deployment, while working with local regulators and taxi operators.

The move follows Apollo Go’s recent expansion into Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as a newly announced agreement with Uber to integrate thousands of driverless cars into Uber’s global network.

Apollo Go now operates a fleet of over 1,000 autonomous vehicles in 15 cities worldwide, having completed more than 11 million passenger trips and driven over 170 million kilometers without a major safety incident.