Uber wants to mediate Robotaxi trips with Baidu from China worldwide soon

Uber and the Chinese technology group Baidu soon want to offer robotaxi services outside of China and the USA. The now signed several years of strategic partnership stipulates that thousands of autonomous vehicles from Baidu can be conveyed in various countries around the world via the Uber app. Then the users can choose whether they book a human driver or a robotaxi. The cooperation will initially be implemented in Asia and the Middle East in the course of this year, but an expansion to Europe (and oceania) has already been planned.

Cooperation with Baidu is not the first robotaxi cooperation between the trip broker. Last year, the Robotaxis from GM subsidiary Cruise brought over the platform to be able to mediate corresponding trips within the United States. The cruise competitor Waymo has been offering trips via Uber in addition to its own app since 2023. Uber also cooperates from China at Robotaxis and has also agreed with VW a cooperation for autonomous driving. In the future, Uber customers should also be able to book autonomously driving VW ID.Buzz in the USA.

Robotaxis has long been a soft spot from Uber

Uber is known for the mediation of human drivers, but years ago it already had its own division for self -driving cars. However, this was sold to Aurora Technologies in 2020, a company supported by Amazon. At that time, Uber was more important to contain their own high losses and become profitable. But apparently the group sees a profitable future in robotaxis and secures the corresponding partnerships for this.

For Baidu, the cooperation with Uber is an important step in order to bring the “benefits of autonomous driving technology for more people in more markets”, such as Baidu boss and co-founder Robin Li in the Commerce Ubers is called. According to Baidu, Baaidu runs over 1000 driverless vehicles in over 15 cities, not only in China, but also in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The service is called “Apollo Go” and has already carried out more than 11 million trips from 2021 to May this year. Recently it has already been reported that Baidus Robotaxis should come to Europe, first to Switzerland. The cooperation with Uber and the use of the corresponding app could increase acceptance.

Uber leaves Tesla outside

A well-known cooperation partner among the robotaxi providers is missing: Tesla. But Elon Musk’s company has its own plans. Recently, Tesla started the Robotaxi service with restrictions, namely with a few cars and with accompanying persons. In May, Uber boss Dara Khosrowshahi described in one Interview with The Verge Tesla as a competitor, albeit as a smaller one with “less demand”. He also questions Tesla’s camera system for autonomous driving. CHOSROWSHAHI considers lidar sensors using laser rays to measure distance and speed.

While Uber and Baidu officially only speak of the countries of Asia and the Middle East for their robotaxis, expansion to Europe seems to be only a matter of time. In May reported CNBC For example, that Baidu is planning his Apollo-Go service of autonomous trips not only in Switzerland, but also in Turkey. Other countries are likely to follow.