Baidu’s Apollo Go and Lyft-owned Freenow showed an RT6 autonomous vehicle in London on Oct. 22, offering a public look at the robotaxi while the companies’ road tests continued with safety drivers. The demonstration was a vehicle reveal, not the start of passenger service: the companies said they hoped to launch a fully driverless commercial service in 2027. [1]
The event was reported by Reuters on Oct. 23, which said testing with safety drivers had begun during the summer. In a demonstration ride, Freenow UK general manager Danny O’Gorman described London’s speed bumps, narrow streets and roads with 20-mile-per-hour limits as a demanding environment for the vehicle to learn. [1]
A showcase during testing, not a driverless launch
The distinction matters because the RT6 programme in London was already underway. Freenow and Baidu announced on July 28 that RT6 vehicles had begun testing with safety operators, initially in Brent, with the companies saying public riders would be welcomed starting in 2027. [2] The October event therefore marked a fresh public demonstration of the vehicle in London, rather than the first test drive or a newly opened service.
Reuters described the Oct. 22 appearance as an unveiling and noted that the aim was a commercial launch in 2027; its report did not say that safety drivers had been removed or that the service had secured permission to operate without them. Freenow’s earlier announcement said the partners were engaging with Transport for London and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, and described public rides as a future plan. [1] [2]
London’s crowded robotaxi race
The demonstration placed the partnership among several efforts pursuing automated ride-hailing in the capital. Reuters reported that Wayve and Uber had launched a London robotaxi service in September, initially with a human safety driver, while Waymo aimed to begin a fully driverless service by year-end. Those comparisons describe different stages and targets; they do not indicate that Apollo Go had begun commercial operations. [1]
The Oct. 22 display was a new, dated public event within an existing testing programme. No launch date more precise than 2027 was established in the reports, and the stated timetable remains a target rather than a confirmed start date. [1] [2]
Sources
[1] China’s Baidu tests robotaxi on London streets — Reuters [2] Freenow by Lyft and Baidu’s Apollo Go start autonomous vehicle testing in London with the RT6 vehicles — Freenow [3] China’s Baidu showcases robotaxi test vehicle in London — Reuters