Baidu Prepares to Launch Apollo Go Robotaxi Trials in Switzerland Amid Global Expansion

Chinese tech company Baidu is preparing to launch its autonomous robotaxi service, Apollo Go, in Europe later this year, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company is currently negotiating with PostAuto, a Swiss Post subsidiary responsible for rural public transport in Switzerland, to initiate trials. Baidu aims to establish a local entity in Switzerland soon to meet legal and operational requirements ahead of the rollout.

This move is part of Baidu’s broader international strategy, which includes the recent deployment of 100 fully autonomous vehicles in Dubai. The company intends to scale that fleet to 1,000 by 2028. Additionally, Baidu is expanding operations in Hong Kong and is reportedly eyeing Turkey for future testing. Apollo Go has already been rolled out in all of China’s major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou since 2022.

Analysts suggest Baidu is targeting Europe over the U.S. due to the regulatory scrutiny Chinese firms face in the American market. In Europe, Baidu will face competition from companies like Uber, which recently partnered with Chinese startup Momenta to introduce their own robotaxi services in 2026. Initially, Baidu’s vehicles in Switzerland will likely include safety drivers before transitioning to fully driverless models as testing advances.