Chinese tech heavyweight Baidu Inc has announced that its autonomous ride-hailing service Apollo Go has inked a strategic partnership with PostBus, the public transport operator subsidiary of Swiss Post, to launch an on-demand autonomous mobility service in Switzerland called AmiGo.

Experts said the collaboration marks an important step in Apollo Go's global expansion and is expected to bolster the large-scale commercial application of self-driving vehicles globally.

The service, designed to complement Switzerland's public transport system, will deploy Apollo Go's autonomous vehicles in eastern Switzerland. An initial trial fleet will begin testing in December, with phased expansion to roll out regular operations in the first quarter of 2027 at the latest, when customers will be able to book autonomous vehicles through a mobile app and travel to their destinations.

Baidu said it will work closely with PostBus to enhance smart mobility in Switzerland, supplementing the existing public transport network and promoting the development of smart mobility in the country.

Apollo Go brings its latest-generation Level 4 autonomous vehicles RT6 and extensive large-scale operational expertise to the initiative. Customized for the AmiGo platform, the fully electric RT6 vehicles can accommodate up to four passengers and include a detachable steering wheel.

The steering wheel is designed to be removed once the service transitions to regular and fully autonomous operation. As the operator of this service, PostBus is building on its pioneering role to deploy autonomous driving technology in Switzerland.

Baidu said the initial test runs, starting in December, will use a pilot fleet for mapping trips without passengers and with safety drivers on board. In the first half of 2026, pilot operations will expand to a select group of users, still accompanied by safety drivers.

Driverless trials are expected to commence later in 2026, paving the way for regular operations in the first quarter of 2027 at the latest, provided that all safety and quality requirements are met, it added.

Building on PostBus' extensive public transport network and Apollo Go's autonomous driving expertise, both partners will work together to gradually expand the fleet and bring intelligent and sustainable mobility services to more cities and communities across Switzerland.

Baidu said Apollo Go operates a fully driverless fleet of over 1,000 vehicles globally, with its footprint spanning 16 cities around the world, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. As of August, it has provided over 14 million rides to the public.

The partnership with PostBus comes after Baidu collaborated with Lyft, a global mobility platform, in August to deploy robotaxis across Europe starting from next year, and follows a deal with US-based ride-hailing service provider Uber to deploy thousands of its autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform across multiple international markets.

"China is at the forefront of the R&D and application of self-driving technology, and the accelerated expansion of Chinese self-driving companies abroad will be conducive to propelling the global commercialization of the technology," said Zhang Xiang, a visiting professor from the engineering department at Huanghe Science and Technology University.

Zhang said authorities in some European countries have a relatively open attitude toward autonomous driving and are promoting the testing and use of robotaxis thanks to technological advancements and cost reductions.

Chinese self-driving enterprises have strong technical prowess and accumulated rich testing and operational experience in the domestic market, so they are eager to play a bigger role in the international autonomous vehicle field by leveraging their technological strengths, said Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy, adding that there is increasing demand for self-driving vehicles in overseas markets.

The scale of the global robotaxi market is expected to reach $45.7 billion by 2030, rapidly expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 91.8 percent from 2023 to 2030, data from research company MarketsandMarkets show.

The growth of the robotaxi market is influenced by rising demand for ride-hailing services, high R&D investment and government focus on reducing emissions, infrastructure development and the growth of electric vehicles, according to the consultancy.

fanfeifei@chinadaily.com.cn