Thousands of Autonomous Vehicles to Join Uber Platform Under Multi-Year Global Agreement
Uber and Baidu Forge Robotaxi Alliance
Uber has entered a multi-year strategic partnership with Chinese tech giant Baidu to bring Apollo Go autonomous vehicles (AVs) to its platform.
- The partnership will launch in Asia and the Middle East later this year.
- Uber and Baidu aim to deploy thousands of self-driving vehicles through the agreement.
This deal does not cover the U.S. or mainland China, focusing instead on international expansion where autonomous vehicle regulations are still evolving and ride-hailing demand is high.
Expansion of Uber’s AV Strategy
The Baidu partnership is part of Uber’s broader strategy to embrace robotaxis and future-proof its ride-hailing business.
- In recent months, Uber has formed AV deals with Waymo, Volkswagen, May Mobility, Pony AI, and WeRide.
- In May 2025, Uber invested $100 million into WeRide and signaled interest in backing a Travis Kalanick-led buyout of Pony AI.
These collaborations reflect Uber’s attempt to stay ahead of AV disruption while also spreading the risk and technology development burden across multiple partners.
- Some partnerships include equity stakes, positioning Uber as both customer and investor.
- Others, like the Baidu deal, focus on integrating third-party fleets directly into the Uber app ecosystem.
How the Integration Works
Initially, users on the Uber platform won’t be able to specifically request a Baidu Apollo Go AV.
- Instead, riders “may be presented with the option” for a fully driverless ride — mirroring Uber’s existing AV integrations.
- The rollout model allows gradual exposure without disrupting the traditional human-driven fleet.
This selective deployment approach is already used in Uber’s partnerships with Waymo and Motional, helping the company test autonomous operations without overwhelming users or cities.
Apollo Go’s Growing Global Ambition
Baidu’s Apollo Go is one of the most advanced AV programs in China and has been testing and operating robotaxis in major Chinese cities since 2020.
- Baidu has operated fully driverless rides in cities like Wuhan, Chongqing, and Beijing.
- With Uber’s platform, Apollo Go gets a path to scale operations abroad, where Baidu lacks brand recognition and user penetration.
This marks Baidu’s first significant international robotaxi deployment, using Uber’s established app infrastructure and user base as a launchpad.
