In a significant move for the autonomous vehicle industry, Chinese tech giant Baidu announced on Wednesday that its robotaxi division, Apollo Go, will begin test drives in Switzerland this December. This marks the company’s first concrete step toward deploying self-driving vehicles on European roads, intensifying the global race for robotaxi leadership.

Baidu’s Apollo Go is collaborating with Swiss public transit operator PostBus through a strategic partnership designed to revolutionize urban transportation in Europe. According to Baidu’s announcement, the companies plan to launch a fully driverless public taxi service called “AmiGo” by the first quarter of 2027. The fleet will feature Apollo Go’s RT6 electric vehicles, equipped with advanced autonomous technologies. Once operational, the vehicles are expected to operate without steering wheels, signaling a new era of complete vehicle autonomy.

This upcoming trial represents one of Baidu’s most ambitious international expansions to date. Having already established a strong presence across multiple cities in China, Baidu is now taking bold steps into the European market—considered one of the most challenging yet promising environments for smart mobility innovation.

Earlier this year, Baidu announced several major partnerships aimed at expanding its global footprint:

• In August, the company revealed a collaboration with Lyft to deploy Apollo Go robotaxis in the U.K. and Germany by 2026.
• A month earlier, Baidu announced a partnership with Uber to introduce its self-driving taxis on Uber’s ride-hailing platform outside the U.S. and mainland China later this year.

Meanwhile, the competition in the autonomous mobility sector continues to grow. Pony.ai, another Chinese robotaxi operator, recently partnered with Stellantis to start testing in Luxembourg, with plans to expand to other European cities next year. Waymo, the U.S. company owned by Alphabet (Google’s parent), announced plans to begin trials in London, aiming for a public launch in 2026. Additionally, Uber plans to begin fully autonomous ride trials in the U.K. in 2026, in collaboration with SoftBank-backed startup Wayve.

With its planned test drives in Switzerland, Baidu is positioning itself as a key player in Europe’s emerging self-driving ecosystem. The success of the “AmiGo” project could pave the way for a future where autonomous electric vehicles transform public transportation, reduce emissions, and redefine mobility for millions of passengers.

As global competition accelerates, one thing is clear: the era of driverless transportation in Europe is fast approaching, and Baidu’s Apollo Go is determined to lead the charge.