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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 more scrutiny in the country. 
One of the companies Baidu will be competing with in Europe is Uber, which signed a deal with Chinese self-driving startup Momenta earlier this month. Uber and Momenta are launching robotaxi services in the continent sometime in 2026. When Baidu does start testing its vehicles its Switzerland, they'll most likely have drivers behind the wheel before the company progresses to fully driverless trials. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/baidu-could-start-testing-its-apollo-go-robotaxi-service-in-europe-this-year-123054998.html?src=rss