Freenow and Chinese technology giant Baidu have officially commenced road testing of the Apollo Go autonomous vehicles in London.
The trials mark a key step toward launching commercial driverless ride-hailing services in the capital, with public passenger services targeted for 2027, subject to regulatory approvals.
Initial testing is taking place across mixed urban and suburban routes in the London Borough of Brent, with trained safety operators onboard the vehicles.
The deployment uses Baidu’s sixth-generation RT6 autonomous vehicle—a purpose-built model designed specifically for ride-hailing operations.
The trial is part of a strategic partnership announced in 2025 between Lyft, which owns Freenow, and Baidu to bring autonomous vehicle fleets to key European markets.
Freenow will handle local operations and integrate the RT6 fleet alongside its existing network of licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in a hybrid model.
“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,” said Thomas Zimmermann, chief executive of Freenow by Lyft.
“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.”
Nan Yang, vice president of Baidu and general manager of Overseas Business Unit, Intelligent Driving Group added: “The arrival of Apollo Go vehicles in London marks a defining milestone in our global expansion.
“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.”
The testing comes alongside a surge in the presence of autonomous vehicles in the UK capital with Wayve and Waymo also building towards the commercial launch of robotaxis in London.
