The battle for autonomous ride-hailing is crossing the Atlantic. Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) and Lyft Inc. (LYFT) have joined forces with Baidu Inc. (BIDU)-backed robotaxi company Apollo Go to bring self-driving taxis to the streets of London.
London Testing Set for Early 2026
Uber made the announcement official on Monday via social media, revealing that robotaxi testing is expected to kick off in the first half of 2026. It's a significant move for both American ride-hailing companies as they look to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving autonomous vehicle space.
Lyft CEO David Risher shared additional details about the partnership, explaining that the company plans to start testing with "dozens of vehicles next year." The fleet will be deployed through both the Lyft and Freenow platforms, though everything hinges on securing regulatory approval from UK authorities.
Waymo Already Making UK Moves
The announcement doesn't come in a vacuum. Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) subsidiary Waymo revealed back in October that it was also setting its sights on the UK market. The self-driving service has partnered with fleet operator Moove to lay the groundwork for its rollout while navigating the necessary regulatory conversations with local and national authorities.
Waymo isn't exactly a startup trying to prove itself. The company has already completed more than 14 million driverless robotaxi rides and recently hit the 450,000 rides-per-week milestone. With over 2,500 robotaxis operating across multiple U.S. cities, it's arguably the most established player in the autonomous ride-hailing game.
Apollo Go's Impressive Track Record
Apollo Go is bringing some serious credentials to this UK partnership. The company recently announced it had reached 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week, with its fleet logging over 140 million driverless miles and completing more than 17 million robotaxi ride orders. Perhaps most impressively, Apollo Go reported just one incident requiring airbag deployment for every 6.2 million miles driven, a safety record that should help ease regulatory concerns.
The Broader European Robotaxi Race
The European autonomous vehicle market is heating up quickly. Pony AI Inc. (PONY) announced a deal with Stellantis NV (STLA) in October to bring robotaxis to Europe through the automaker's AV-Ready Platform next year, adding another competitor to the mix.
And then there's Tesla Inc. (TSLA), which is taking its characteristically aggressive approach. CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the company has begun testing driverless robotaxis in Austin, a development that supports his ambitious timeline for launching Unsupervised Robotaxis in the city by year-end. Tesla is also pushing to expand its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology into Europe next year, with Dutch regulator RDW confirming the company's plans.
The convergence of so many players in the European market signals that autonomous ride-hailing is moving from experimental phase to commercial reality. For Uber and Lyft, partnering with an established robotaxi operator like Apollo Go makes strategic sense. Rather than building autonomous technology from scratch, they're leveraging their existing platform dominance while letting the tech specialists handle the self-driving part. It's a partnership model that could define how the robotaxi market evolves globally.