Robotaxis are common place across much of the US and China. Waymo, a self-driving taxi pioneer, operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Austin and Atlanta, with plans to expand further. In China, robotaxi services are widespread across major cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. Progress in Europe has been relatively slow, however, that may be about to change.
The economics of self-driving taxis are more compelling than those of privately owned cars. Conventional taxis must bring along an extra person—the driver—whose time must be paid for. A family car may double as a taxi, with its owner pressed into service. But when the driver is heading somewhere anyway, he is not acting solely as a chauffeur. So it makes sense that robotaxis are at the forefront of self-driving vehicles.
In July 2025, Baidu, China’s largest internet search provider, announced it is extending its autonomous driving ambitions into Europe, reported S-GE, a Swiss foreign trade organisation. The firm has established a European hub in Zurich and registered a company in Switzerland in mid-2025, a move lauded by the Canton of Zurich as a boost to the region’s reputation as an innovation hub.
The company’s self-driving taxi service, Apollo Go, already shuttles passengers across more than ten Chinese cities, delivering over 1.1 million rides in the final quarter of 2024 alone, according to the FT.
In Switzerland, Baidu intends to begin trials before the end of 2025, targeting operational launch the following year. The roll-out will start conservatively: test drives will employ safety drivers, with commercial deployment earmarked for 2026.
Rather than trying to navigate Zurich’s crowded city centre, Apollo Go will serve rural and peripheral areas, where public transport is patchier. Reports suggest that PostAuto, Swiss Post’s bus subsidiary, might partner in the project, but the company has denied any binding agreement, according to Reuters.
Baidu’s European foray coincides with wider competition among Chinese robotaxi pioneers. WeRide and Pony.ai have each signalled interest in Europe, with WeRide already piloting at Zurich airport. To differentiate itself, Baidu is leveraging Apollo Go’s scale at home and seeking partnerships abroad; earlier in 2025 it struck a deal with Uber to explore robotaxi deployment in selected international markets.
Switzerland thus becomes both a testing ground and a showcase for Baidu’s autonomous fleet. If Apollo Go manages to navigate the country’s Alpine roads and complex regulatory terrain, it may accelerate European adoption of robotaxis.
The next challenge may be ensuring these big companies don’t form natural monopolies in any particular region.
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