Uber, Lyft set to trial robotaxis in the UK in partnership with China's Baidu

Group 1 - Baidu plans to introduce robotaxis in London through partnerships with Lyft and Uber, marking a significant step in the UK's autonomous vehicle landscape [1][3] - Lyft will begin testing Baidu's fleet of dozens of vehicles in 2026, with plans to scale to hundreds, while Uber's pilot is expected to start in the first half of 2026 [2] - Baidu's global operations now include 22 cities and over 250,000 weekly trips, competing with other Chinese companies like WeRide and Western firms such as Waymo [3][5] Group 2 - The UK government aims to permit robotaxis for small-scale pilots starting in spring 2026, with Baidu likely to be among the first participants [4] - London has set a "Vision Zero" goal to eliminate serious injuries and deaths in its transportation systems by 2041, with autonomous driving technology expected to contribute significantly [4] - Waymo is also planning to test in London, with a full service launch anticipated in 2026, while Baidu is expanding its testing in international markets like the UAE and Switzerland [5]