Extra Robotaxi + Trip-Hailing Partnerships

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A handful extra partnerships between robotaxi firms and ride-hailing apps have popped out in current days and weeks.

Baidu x Lyft & Uber in London

To start with, we’ve obtained Baidu partnering with Uber and Lyft in London. Uber and Lyft testing of the Baidu Apollo Go robotaxi system is meant to begin someday within the first half of subsequent yr.

“It’s official: Lyft and Baidu are bringing AVs to London. Riders throughout town would be the first within the area to expertise Baidu’s Apollo Go automobiles. We anticipate to begin testing our preliminary fleet with dozens of automobiles subsequent yr — pending regulatory approval — by way of the Lyft and Freenow ecosystem, with plans to scale to lots of from there,” Lyft CEO David Risher wrote. Listed below are extra particulars from Risher’s submit:

• Baidu is the world’s largest AV operator with 17M+ cumulative rideshare rides, 22 cities globally
• 240M+ km of autonomous driving, and 140M+ km accomplished in totally driverless mode
• Absolutely-electric RT6 automobiles, purpose-built for rideshare

“Our hybrid community — AVs and drivers working collectively — will serve all of London’s journey wants. We’re working intently with Transport for London regulators and native communities to develop the rideshare market and create extra alternatives for everybody. Extra to return, however can’t wait to see the way forward for mobility arrive in one of many world’s best cities.”

It appears kind of the identical as Lyft’s partnership with Waymo, and Uber’s with Waymo and Baidu. That’s not a foul factor, simply additional enlargement of a diversified robotaxi strategy throughout totally different markets.

As famous above, Uber can also be partnering with Baidu in London. “Thrilling information for the UK: we’re teaming up with Baidu’s Apollo Go to pilot autonomous automobiles in London! Testing is predicted to begin within the first half of 2026, underneath the UK’s frontier plan to start trials for self-driving automobiles. We’re excited to speed up Britain’s management in the way forward for mobility, bringing one other protected and dependable journey choice to Londoners subsequent yr,” the corporate introduced earlier this week.

WeRide & Uber in Abu Dhabi

WeRide and Uber have teamed up in Abu Dhabi and not too long ago launched totally driverless robotaxi service within the UAE capital.

“The launch was supported by the world’s first city-level totally driverless Robotaxi allow exterior the USA (U.S.),” Uber introduced. “Abu Dhabi is the primary metropolis exterior the U.S. to host totally driverless Robotaxi operations on the Uber platform.” It’s additionally the primary Center East metropolis to get driverless robotaxi deployment.

Preliminary public, industrial robotaxi operations are on Yas Island. “Passengers can now be matched with a WeRide Robotaxi by way of Uber Consolation or UberX, and also can e book a WeRide Robotaxi by way of the brand new ‘Autonomous’ class, Uber’s first devoted autonomous trip choice globally,” Uber wrote. “In October 2025, WeRide’s Robotaxi secured a federal allow to conduct totally driverless Robotaxi industrial operations. Following this, the ITC granted WeRide and Tawasul the primary operational license for a completely driverless industrial Robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi. The preliminary part will probably be operated collectively by WeRide and Tawasul on the Uber platform.”

However will these robotaxi providers really become profitable? Properly, I’m not totally clear what this implies, however Uber added the next: “With the totally driverless industrial launch, newest allow, and ongoing enhancements in automobile utilization, the WeRide-Uber Robotaxi providers in Abu Dhabi are on monitor to attain breakeven unit economics.” Hmm. There are totally different milestones on the trail to profitability.

Now, when you’ve been masking the robotaxi transition for some time, you may bear in mind different robotaxi bulletins about Abu Dhabi. Certainly, there have been robotaxis in operation there for years — however not totally driverless. I do know, that doesn’t make a variety of sense, however principally there have been human supervisors/security operators all that point. In actual fact, it’s WeRide that has been doing that the longest.

“WeRide maintains a 4-year first mover benefit in autonomous automobile deployment in Abu Dhabi, having operated Robotaxis in Abu Dhabi since 2021. In 2023, it turned the primary firm within the UAE to obtain a nationwide license masking all varieties of self-driving automobiles, authorizing autonomous testing and operation on public roads throughout the nation, topic to emirate-level approvals,” Uber added. “In December 2024, WeRide and Uber launched their Robotaxi ride-hailing partnership in Abu Dhabi – the biggest industrial Robotaxi service exterior the U.S. and China. The partnership expanded in July 2025 to cowl about half of Abu Dhabi’s core areas, together with Al Reem and Al Maryah. By the tip of 2025, WeRide and Uber plan to increase providers to cowl extra areas in Abu Dhabi metropolis core. WeRide presently has over 100 Robotaxis within the Center East.”