Nan Fang Du Shi Bao·2025-08-05 10:42Core Insights - The collaboration between Luobo Kuaiyun and Lyft aims to provide autonomous driving services in Europe, starting with Germany and the UK by 2026, marking a significant milestone in Luobo Kuaiyun's global strategy [1][3] - Lyft will be responsible for operations and marketing, while Baidu will supply vehicles, technology validation, and comprehensive technical support, continuing Lyft's strategy of being the preferred platform for fleet owners and technology suppliers [3][4] Group 1: Strategic Partnership - Luobo Kuaiyun's sixth-generation autonomous vehicles will be deployed in Europe, with plans to scale up to thousands of vehicles [1] - Lyft's CEO emphasized the importance of customer experience and the advantages of autonomous driving, including safety, reliability, and privacy protection for millions of European users [3] - The partnership is part of Lyft's "human-machine collaborative mobility network" strategy, integrating autonomous vehicles with human drivers to meet passenger needs [3] Group 2: Market Context - Lyft has established a strong presence in North America and Europe, operating in nearly 1,000 cities and supporting bike-sharing in 16 countries [3] - The acquisition of FREENOW will accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicles in Europe, leveraging established relationships with local regulators and taxi operators [4] - The European market is seen as favorable for the large-scale deployment of autonomous vehicles due to its well-developed road infrastructure and high level of digitalization [7] Group 3: Global Expansion - In July, Luobo Kuaiyun announced a partnership with Uber to deploy thousands of autonomous vehicles in multiple global markets, with initial deployments in Asia and the Middle East by the end of the year [7] - Luobo Kuaiyun has already deployed over 1,000 autonomous vehicles globally, providing over 11 million rides and accumulating more than 170 million kilometers of safe driving [7]