Lyft Partners With Baidu on Robotaxis in European Expansion

Lyft Inc. said it’s partnering with China’s Baidu Inc. to launch autonomous vehicles in Europe starting next year, an agreement that comes after the US rideshare company finalized its first expansion into the continent.

Initial launches are planned for Germany and the UK in 2026 pending regulatory approval, the companies said in a statement Monday. Under the arrangement, Lyft will deploy the sixth generation of Baidu’s robotaxis, with the fleet scaling to “thousands of vehicles” across Europe in the following years, they added. Shares of Lyft jumped as much as 4.7% after markets opened in New York, while Baidu’s American depositary receipts rose as much as 2.8%.