Research shows strong appetite for AVs among Londoners: over half say they’d likely ride in an autonomous vehicle and nearly two-thirds of those under 35 are in support of AVs being available in the capital
Apollo Go's sixth-generation autonomous vehicles (RT6) are purpose-built for ride-hailing with advanced driverless technology
London, 28 July 2026 - Freenow by Lyft and Baidu’s Apollo Go have officially commenced testing the sixth-generation autonomous vehicles from Apollo Go in London. The vehicles have safety operators and to start with will operate within the borough of Brent, which has a mix of urban and suburban environments. This builds on Lyft's 2025 announcement with Baidu for European deployment.
Safety and close collaboration with city officials are central to this programme. Freenow and Lyft have been in extensive discussions with Transport for London (TfL) and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), aligning with regulators to support a safe, reliable and sustainable service for Londoners.
Thomas Zimmermann, CEO of Freenow by Lyft, said: "As a platform with deep roots in the taxi industry, our priority is ensuring that autonomous technology supports the professional drivers who keep London moving. By integrating these purpose-built, autonomous vehicles from Baidu’s Apollo Go into the Freenow by Lyft ecosystem, we will give Londoners more sustainable choices to travel, encouraging them to choose shared mobility services over personally-owned vehicles."
The vehicles will operate as part of a hybrid network, with both Freenow’s established taxi and private hire vehicles and AVs. For riders, this will mean faster pickup times as the number of vehicles on the platform increases.
"The arrival of Apollo Go vehicles in London marks a defining milestone in our global expansion," said Nan Yang, Vice President of Baidu and General Manager of Overseas Business Unit, Intelligent Driving Group. "Testing our autonomous fleet in one of the world’s most iconic and complex urban environments validates our technology’s maturity and our commitment to this market. By combining our cutting-edge autonomous driving technology with Freenow by Lyft’s local operational expertise, we are officially moving from vision to reality, together.”
Recent research by Censuswide* reveals strong early interest in autonomous vehicles among Londoners, despite limited first-hand experience: 48% have never ridden one, yet 58% say they'd be likely to try it. Support is even higher among younger Londoners, with nearly two-thirds of those under 35 in favor of AVs being available in the capital. A further 25% said they're excited about having another transport option to choose from.
Asked why they'd choose an AV, over half (51%) cited excitement about the technology, 43% pointed to reliability, and 41% said they'd value the opportunity for quiet "me time" during their journey.
Freenow by Lyft and Baidu’s Apollo Go will welcome public riders in these vehicles starting in 2027. *This research was commissioned by Freenow by Lyft in partnership with Censuswide in March 2026. The survey sampled 3,001 respondents.
About Freenow by Lyft
Freenow by Lyft features broad multi-mobility options across 9 European markets and over 180 cities. Millions of passengers can access various mobility services within a single app, including taxis, private hire vehicles, carsharing, car rental, e-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds and public transport. With headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, Freenow is led by CEO Thomas Zimmermann.
In July 2025, Freenow was acquired by Lyft, a global mobility platform offering a mix of rideshare, taxis, private hire vehicles, executive chauffeur services, car sharing, bikes, and scooters across 6 continents and thousands of cities. Millions of drivers have chosen to earn on billions of rides. Together, Freenow and Lyft are helping to create a more connected world, with transportation options for everyone.
About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu's mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under "BIDU" and HKEX under "9888." One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.
Media Contact
Forward Looking Statements:
Certain statements contained in this announcement are “forward-looking statements” about Lyft within the meaning of the securities laws, including statements about Lyft’s strategy regarding autonomous vehicles. Such statements, which are not of historical fact, involve estimates, assumptions, judgments and uncertainties. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those addressed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors are detailed in Lyft’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lyft does not undertake an obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect future events, except as required by applicable law.