Baidu and Lyft's mobility platform, Freenow, have officially started road-testing Apollo Go robotaxis in London. [14, 15] The initial trials for the sixth-generation autonomous vehicles (RT6) are taking place in the Borough of Brent with human safety operators on board. [9, 14] The testing program is being conducted in collaboration with local regulators like Transport for London. [9]
This deployment is a key step toward a planned public launch in 2027, pending full regulatory approval. [15] The move escalates competition in the UK capital's growing autonomous vehicle sector, with rivals including Alphabet's Waymo and Uber's partner, Wayve, also establishing operations in the city. [2, 6, 11]