Uber and Baidu Partner to Roll Out Robotaxis in Global Markets

Uber and Baidu have formed a partnership to offer robotaxis in several markets outside of the US and China. Uber will integrate Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous vehicles onto its platform, with thousands of vehicles expected to be deployed. The partnership aims to expand the availability of self-driving cars globally.

Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) and Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU, HKEX: 9888) have announced a significant partnership to deploy Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the Uber platform across multiple global markets outside of the U.S. and mainland China. This collaboration aims to leverage Uber's extensive ride-hailing network and Baidu's advanced autonomous driving technology to enhance the efficiency and safety of self-driving vehicles.

The initial deployments are expected in Asia and the Middle East later this year. Upon launch, riders requesting qualifying Uber trips may be presented with the option to have their trip fulfilled by a fully driverless Apollo Go AV. Baidu's Apollo Go currently operates a fleet of over 1,000 fully driverless vehicles globally, with its global footprint spanning 15 cities, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi. As of May, the cumulative rides provided to the public by Apollo Go surpassed 11 million [1].

Baidu CEO Robin Li stated, "We are committed to bringing the benefit of autonomous driving technology to more people in more markets, and this partnership with Uber represents a major milestone in deploying our technology on a global scale." Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi added, "As the world's largest platform of its kind, spanning mobility, delivery, and freight, Uber is uniquely positioned to help AV leaders like Baidu bring their autonomous technology to the world" [2].

The partnership aims to increase the supply of affordable and reliable ridesharing options by integrating Baidu's autonomous driving technology onto Uber's extensive network. This collaboration also aligns with Uber's broader AV ambitions, which include partnerships with Waymo (GOOG) and Volkswagen (VWAGY, VLKAF, VWAPY) [3].

Following the announcement, Uber's stock rose 1% in premarket trading, while Baidu's stock increased by 5% before the open [4].

References:
[1] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-and-uber-join-forces-to-accelerate-autonomous-vehicle-deployment-302505303.html
[2] https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/uber-stock-rises-after-baidu-partnership-for-selfdriving-taxis-93CH-4135569
[3] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/uber-partners-with-chinas-baidu-deploy-self-driving-taxis-international-markets-2025-07-15/
[4] https://seekingalpha.com/news/4467424-uber-baidu-collaborate-on-autonomous-vehicle-deployment