China’s Baidu plans to launch driverless taxis in Europe

Chinese tech giant Baidu is set to launch a driverless taxi service in Europe for the first time, according to a report.

The firm’s Apollo Go robotaxi service will begin testing in Switzerland before the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The self-driving taxis will also launch in Turkey and the Middle East amid rising competition in the space.

Ride-hailing pioneer Uber said this month that it plans to deploy driverless taxis in Europe early next year, having partnered with Chinese self-driving startup Momenta.

Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said at the time that the move was to “pave the way for a future where more riders around the world experience the benefits of reliable and affordable autonomous mobility”.

Tesla has also signalled its intention to introduce robotaxis to Austin, Texas, next month.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has already rolled out its robotaxis in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas, with new services set to launch in Georgia and Japan this year.

The driverless cabs have faced push back in some regions, with city officials in San Francisco blaming the technology for obstructing emergency vehicles and causing traffic.

Vandals targeted an unoccupied Waymo taxi in February last year, smashing its windows, covering it in paint and setting it on fire. That same month, a Waymo vehicle collided with a cyclist after reportedly failing to spot it behind a truck at an intersection.

A Waymo spokesperson said at the time: “The cyclist was occluded by the truck and quickly followed behind it, crossing into the Waymo vehicle’s path.”

Baidu has been operating its autonomous Apollo Go taxis, which run without any human safety drivers, in China for several years.

Its largest market is Wuhan, where more than 500 robotaxis operate 24 hours a day across more than half of the city.

The expansion to Switzerland follows a deal with PostAuto, a division of Swiss Post that runs public bus services.

Baidu and Swiss Post did not immediately respond to requests for comment.