Uber and Baidu Announce Strategic Partnership for Robotaxi Services

On July 15, Uber Technologies Inc. and Baidu Inc. jointly announced a long-term strategic partnership to launch robotaxi services in multiple markets outside of the United States and mainland China, integrating this service into Uber's ride-sharing platform. According to a joint statement, Baidu's self-driving car service, Apollo Go, will be available on the Uber app later this year, covering regions in Asia and the Middle East. As part of this collaboration, thousands of self-driving vehicles will be put into operation. An Uber spokesperson added that there are plans to expand into European and Oceania markets in the future. Following the announcement, Uber's stock price rose by 1.4% in New York, while Baidu's American Depository Receipts (ADR) saw an intraday increase of up to 7%. Baidu, one of China's largest robotaxi operators, becomes the latest Chinese autonomous driving technology company to partner with Uber and expand its services overseas. As of May, Apollo Go has completed over 11 million public rides across 15 cities worldwide, surpassing the 10 million ride milestone set by Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet. Additionally, Baidu is actively planning to expand its robotaxi services in countries like Switzerland, Singapore, and Malaysia. Other Chinese companies listed in the U.S., such as WeRide, Pony.ai, and Momenta, have also reached agreements with Uber to provide robotaxi services on its platform in select European and Middle Eastern markets in the coming years. Uber has established over a dozen global partnerships with technology developers, including Waymo, and automobile manufacturers, shifting its strategic focus from developing technology in-house to becoming an investor and commercialization platform in the autonomous vehicle sector. Thanks to multiple collaborations, Uber's app has already launched robotaxi services in cities like Phoenix, Austin, Atlanta in the U.S., and Abu Dhabi in the UAE.