Chinese tech giant Baidu is preparing to take a big step in Europe, announcing that its Apollo Go will begin robotaxi test runs in Switzerland in December 2025. The move marks the first real entry of Chinese autonomous taxis into the European market — a market that is already attracting the industry's top players.
From Beijing to Europe: A strategic alliance
Baidu will work with Swiss company PostBus , the country’s largest public transport provider, as part of a strategic partnership to develop and test a fleet of autonomous vehicles. The two companies plan to launch the first public robotaxi service in Switzerland , branded “AmiGo,” by the first quarter of 2027 .
The service will be based on RT6 electric vehicles — a model developed specifically for autonomous driving. Baidu has said that when the technology is fully mature, the vehicles will remove the steering wheel altogether, making full autonomy a reality.
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Baidu picks up speed in the global market
The announcement comes at a time of intense competition in the global autonomous transportation. In August, Baidu also revealed a partnership with Lyft to develop robotaxi services in the United Kingdom and Germany (starting in 2026).
The company had previously signed an agreement with Uberto integrate its Apollo Go into its platform outside the US and China. Baidu's strategy is clear: global expansion through partnerships with local transportation providers who are better informed about the laws and specificities of each market.
The map of robotaxi in Europe
Baidu is not the only company vying for a place on European roads. The competition has already heated up:
- Pony.ai aChinese company, announced a partnership with Stellantis to begin testing in Luxembourg, with plans to expand to other cities in Europe by 2026.
- Waymo , a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google) , recently revealed plans for testing in London , preparing to launch a self-driving taxi service next year.
- At the same time, Uber is working with British startup Wayve, backed by SoftBank, with the aim of launching fully autonomous rides in the United Kingdom from spring 2026.
Europe, while more conservative on regulations and safety, is quickly becoming a testing ground for autonomous mobility. Companies see the continent as the next big bet, after the US and China, where robotaxi services already have a presence in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, San Francisco and Phoenix.
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From technology to trust
The biggest obstacle to the commercial success of robotaxis is not just the technology, but public trust. European regulations require extremely high safety standards, while citizens still appear wary of autonomous vehicles.
Baidu, with its experience from millions of trips in China, is trying to convince that its technology is ready for European conditions — from narrow city streets to the mountainous terrain of Switzerland. At the same time, the partnership with PostBus offers a crucial advantage: passengers' trust in an established national transport provider.
The "race" of autonomous taxis has just begun
The “AmiGo” project is more than just a test – it’s Baidu’s first real foray into the European market, and perhaps the first step towards a new era in mobility. If all goes according to plan, Switzerland will become the first country in Europe with an active public robotaxi service driverless.
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Baidu aims to prove that the combination of artificial intelligence, electric mobility and autonomous driving can deliver safe, sustainable and efficient mobility. The battle to dominate the European robotaxi landscape is clearly just beginning — and December in Switzerland will be the first big test.
