Baidu could start testing its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Europe this year

Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxi service is making its debut in Europe later this year, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Chinese company is reportedly negotiating with Switzerland’s PostAuto, a Swiss Post subsidiary that offers rural bus services throughout the country, to start testing Apollo Go in Switzerland. To be able to test its technology in Switzerland before the year ends, Baidu is setting up a local entity in the coming months. Back in March, the company announced that it was deploying 100 fully autonomous cars in Dubai, with plans to expand its fleet to 1,000 vehicles in the city by 2028. It's also expanding its trials in Hong Kong and reportedly has plans to test its vehicles in Turkey in the future. Baidu launched Apollo Go in all "first-tier" Chinese cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, in 2022. As The Journal notes, Baidu, like its Chinese competitors, is likely looking to expand in Europe instead of the US, because Chinese companies could be subject to ... Read full article.