Baidu and Freenow Unveil RT6 Robotaxis in London

Baidu and its partner Freenow unveiled the RT6 autonomous vehicle in London on Thursday, announcing a timeline to launch a driverless robotaxi service in the city by 2027. The companies began testing vehicles with safety drivers during the summer and intend to transition to fully driverless deployments by 2026.

This expansion into the European market comes as the United States Senate considers a permanent ban on Chinese cars. The venture enters a highly competitive London market where Uber and Wayve launched a robotaxi service in September, and Alphabet's Waymo intends to launch a fully driverless service by the end of 2024.

Freenow is currently coordinating with Transport for London to establish the necessary regulatory guidelines for the service. Danny O’Gorman, general manager of Freenow UK, noted that the technology is currently in a phase of learning the rules of the road, similar to a student preparing for a driving test. He further clarified that the autonomous service is not intended as a replacement for the city's iconic black cabs.