Chinese robot taxis to be unleashed on UK roads in months as Uber pushes rollout

Fully automatic taxis operated by a Chinese tech giant will hit the streets of London next year. Baidu, a multinational tech behemoth based in Beijing and worth over £30billion, has partnered with Uber and Lyft to trial a fleet of “robotaxis” in 2026.

Lyft has confirmed that they plan to trial the Apollo Go RT6 – a fully autonomous vehicle with no need of human assistance which comes with a detachable steering wheel. The announcement comes as rival taxi firms Waymo and Wayve test driverless cars on UK streets, and will see London become the first European capital with a driverless taxi service for the public. London’s robotaxi boom is driven by the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, which changed legislation to help investors and operators test self-driving cars on British roads.

Baidu CEO Robin Li called the London rollout a “significant milestone in our global journey”. At the moment, Baidu’s Apollo Go motors are offering driverless taxi rides in several Chinese cities, including Beijing, and recently rolled out in Dubai. The car uses a complex array of dozens of sensors, computers and AI to make decisions.

Baidu is competing with rival tech firms like Waymo, a software company controlled by Google owner Alphabet, whose cars have already been tested in London. Waymo plans to begin a robotaxi service in London by 2027.

David Risher, CEO of Lyft said the international taxi firm plan to start testing “dozens of vehicles” next year, with “plans to scale to hundreds [of vehicles]” that are purpose-built for ridesharing.

“We’re working closely with Transport for London regulators and local communities to expand the rideshare market and create more opportunities for everyone,” he added.

British startup Wayve will also launch driverless trials next year after an investment of £750million by SoftBank Group and Uber. It hopes to test its own AI technology on ‍London’s busy streets.

The Department of Transport estimates that the first driverless taxi services will hit UK roads in Spring 2026.